Amid a media firestorm surrounding firearms and the commemoration of the largest murder of a woman in Canadian history, Carey Price admitted knowing of the existence of the Polytechnique Montreal massacre, contrary to what was announced by the Canadian’s management on Monday .
“Despite a previous statement, I was actually aware of this tragedy. I’ve been a member of the Montreal community for 15 years and I understand the weight of this day within the community,” the goalie wrote on his Instagram page. However, he maintained his position against the amendment to the Gun Control Bill C-21.
Group CH President France Margaret Belanger said Monday that Carey Price “did not know” about the December 6, 1989 massacre and was therefore unaware of the upcoming anniversary, Radio-Canada reported. “When we saw his publication, we drew his attention to the reactions to this topic,” wrote Ms. Bélanger.
The argument of ignorance only ignited the social media powder.
“When you say that you know nothing about the killing of Poly (although it is unlikely given the nature of the event) and the prank of the club you support, you remain a little embarrassed and stick to your goals,” the politician commented Camil Bouchard publicly on Facebook.
“If, in a society where we kill women because they are women, we prefer to defend the right to own guns because #notallmen, rather than prioritizing equal safety for all, there is a problem,” the humorist wrote Emilie Ouellette. “And Carey says he didn’t know about the Polytechnique event. That shows me how much a society fails to educate and raise awareness, but beyond that you’ll find that Carey doesn’t back down now that he knows. He keeps it. »
Gun Control and Polytechnic
It all started on Saturday when the Canadians’ star player posted a photo on his Instagram page of him in camouflage gear holding a shotgun, opposing an amendment to the C-21 firearms bill. The latter aims to ban certain high-powered weapons in Canada. The one who does recreational hunting also said he supports the Canadian Coalition for Gun Rights (CCFR). However, the latter has recently been criticized for its “disrespectful” marketing stunt in the run-up to December 6th: it encouraged its members to buy goods on its website with the promotional code “Poly”. Since then, the famous goalie’s Instagram post has garnered more than 100,000 likes and the mention of supporting the Pro Gun organization is still visible.
Many regretted that this statement comes just days before the sad anniversary of the December 6, 1989 massacre that claimed the lives of 14 women.
Survivor Nathalie Provost, spokeswoman for PolySeSouvient, lamented Carey Price’s attitude, which she says confuses people when thinking about firearms. It’s really sad. Because with his reputation – he’s a great Canadian, he’s trusted by a lot of people – unfortunately because he presents his position in very general terms without explaining the nuances, it unfortunately creates a lot of confusion in an already very tense one Debate sensitive,” she said Monday at the microphone of Benoît Dutrizac on QUB Radio.
The content of the bill has been the focus of inquiries from Polytechnique survivors since January 1990, Ms. Provost explained. “We demand that assault weapons be completely banned in Canada. We are not against hunting guns, we are for better control. Guns covered by the definition are not reasonably intended for hunting. »
In fact, the shotgun Carey Price is holding in his photo will remain legal after Bill C-21 is passed, Public Safety Secretary Marco Mendicino said Monday.
Price maintains his position
However, on the subject, the Montreal Canadiens goaltender remains steadfast in his position. He’s also there on Monday evening shared on Twitter a statement stating: “I continue to stand by my fellow hunters and sport shooters who have purchased their property legally and are using it safely. »
Several of his admirers shared their disappointment with him. “Carey, up until this all happened I was thinking about you a lot. It is too much. If you want to own guns, then own guns. If you want to hunt, hunt. Nobody tries to stop you. But if you need semi-automatic guns for hunting, you might need a new hobby! commented one of them.
However, Carey Price acknowledges that the timing of the release was not ideal and apologized in his statement Monday morning. “The intensification of any talks about guns this week may have angered some of those most affected by the events of 1989, and I apologize to them. »
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