Trevor Howell
Calgary Herald
Thu, 27 Jun 2013 16:06 CDT


Evacuees confronted the RCMP on the northwest corner of town in a bid to enter the Town of High River on Thursday, June 27th 2013, one week after the Highwood River Flooded leaving the whole town empty. RCMP laid a spike belt down across the road to prevent them from traveling down...


'It's just like Nazi Germany,' says resident

RCMP revealed Thursday that officers have seized a "substantial amount" of firearms from homes in the evacuated town of High River.

"We just want to make sure that all of those things are in a spot that we control, simply because of what they are," said Sgt. Brian Topham.

"People have a significant amount of money invested in firearms ... so we put them in a place that we control and that they're safe."

That news didn't sit well with a crowd of frustrated residents who had planned to breach a police checkpoint northwest of the town as an evacuation order stretched into its eighth day.

"I find that absolutely incredible that they have the right to go into a person's belongings out of their home," said resident Brenda Lackey, after learning Mounties have been taking residents' guns. "When people find out about this there's going to be untold hell to pay."

About 30 RCMP officers set up a blockade at the checkpoint, preventing 50 residents from walking into the town. Dozens more police cars, lights on, could be seen lining streets in the town on standby.

Officers laid down a spike belt to stop anyone from attempting to drive past the blockade. That action sent the crowd of residents into a rage.

"What's next? Tear gas?" shouted one resident.

"It's just like Nazi Germany, just taking orders," shouted another.

"This is the reason the U.S. has the right to bear arms," said Charles Timpano, pointing to the group of Mounties.

Officers were ordered to fall back about an hour into the standoff in order to diffuse the situation and listen to residents' concerns.

"We don't want our town to turn into another New Orleans," said resident Jeff Langford. "The longer that the water stays in our houses the worse it's going to be. We'll either be bulldozing them or burning them down because we've got an incompetent government."

Langford blasted High River Mayor Emile Blokland over comments made Wednesday in which Blokland said residents will be allowed to return after businesses, such as hardware and drug stores, are opened.

"It was ridiculous," said Langford. "I think he's a puppet on a string."

Langford said Premier Redford should come to High River to address residents' concerns and provide information.

"This is at the highest tension," he said. "What's going to happen next is that people are just going to be walking across these fields, and I don't care if they put hundreds of thousand of police officers there, they're not going to stop from getting in."

Sgt. Topham said he didn't know when residents would be allowed to return to their homes. "People much higher up are going to make those decisions," he said.

He did confirm that officer relied on forced entry to get into numerous houses during the early stages of the flood because of an "urgent need", said Topham.

Police are no longer forcing themselves into homes and the residences that were forced open will be secured, he said.

Topham said the confiscated firearms have been inventoried and are secured at an RCMP detachment. He was not at liberty to say how many firearms had been confiscated.

"We have seized a large quantity of firearms simply because they were left by residents in their places," said Topham.

The guns will be returned to owners after residents are allowed back in town and they provide proof of ownership, Topham added.

Residents promised to returned to the checkpoint at noon every day until they are allowed to return to their homes.
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And I suppose the officers knew who had guns because the guns were registered.

This is exactly the way they will cease guns from citizens. When you register a gun, you are basically handing it over to the government and they are giving you permission to hold on to it until they decide to confiscate it from you for some reason.

I feel for gun advocate Canadians who love freedom.
Too bad the Hosers screw it up for them.

Phreaking disgusting!
Right when the Firearms might be needed most!
Something really has to give!

That's what you get for living in Canada!
Floods and confiscated firearms!

i remember it happened a few years ago here in texas, when it flooded out by san antonio... they cops were actully arresting people for trying to get back to their homes, but the nazi's weren't done illegally searching peoples houses yet... i didn't here of any guns being taken, but the rest is just as bad...

New Orleans,Kathrina!
New Orleans Police confiscating Weapons,and arresting People for not giving them up!

they were mostly gangsters that the police was shooting there...not a big loss in my opinion...

Wrong. They were trying to take guns from citizens who stayed behind to protect their homes.

Fifteen-Day Waiting-Period during the Riots after the Rodney King Verdict!

i don't think so, everyone was stealing, looting and robbing each other, and the police was busy killing people... they had no time or want to take peoples guns... not to mention the 10 foot of water everywhere...

It's the same in Canada as in the US. Both are corporate "governments" whose "citizens" are considered employees of the corporation "subject" to the corporation's rules (statutes, codes & regulations).

The wisest course of action is NOT to either confirm (Then you have to follow their rules) or deny being a citizen or resident of the jurisdiction (point of contract), because that would be a claim you'd have to prove (so they'd haul you off to prove it in court). If asked, answer in such a way that you haven't answered. The best way to do that is by asking a pertinent question. e.g.:

Q: Are you a citizen?
A: "How can I answer that in a way that doesn't prejudice my rights as a private person?" (lmao)

There are two kinds of gun possessing Canadians, those who have registered and those who haven't. I'd guess that the latter is a much larger group than the former, and many Canadians have claimed the right to lawfully possess & use firearms. The ones who registered are mostly sorry they ever did!