Dear HJL and JWR,
Could you please spread the following information?
There has recently been some interest in bringing forward a legal challenge on the right to Open Carry of sidearms (handguns) in wilderness environments in Canada. Specifically, it questions the prohibition on carrying handguns and advocates Open Carry to meet threats from dangerous animals on (public) Crown Land and private rural land. It is not a challenge for concealed carry or open carry in urban environments, but it may be a good first step.
As you know, the laws on handguns in Canada are not based on any form of logic, and I personally hope that this small step in the right direction gains traction and is successful. To my knowledge it is the first (potential) legal challenge of its kind in Canada. It is in the very early stages, and as such I do not know what specific legal grounds (if any) are being cited or challenged.
A website has been set up at wildernessprotection.ca, called the Canadian Wilderness Protection Initiative. There is also a link to a relevant outdoors forum discussing the initiative.
Although the idea is in its very early stages, it may be something your Canadian readers would want to know about and perhaps even support.
Kind Regards, A Canadian in the Wild