Canadians react to guard Carey Price’s views on gun control and École Polytechnique massacre
Canadiens goaltender Carey Price says he knows about the 1989 Polytechnique massacre, though his team said he didn’t know after he voiced support for a gun lobby group on the social networks, a few days before the anniversary of the tragic event.
The controversy began last Saturday when Price took to Instagram to share a photo of himself holding a gun to criticize Bill C-21. If passed, the bill would make legal access to handguns more difficult and clarify the definition of prohibited assault-type firearms.
“I love my family, I love my country and I care about my neighbour. I am not a criminal or a threat to society,” the caption reads. “What [Justin Trudeau] trying to do is unfair. I support the [Canadian Coalition for Firearms Rights] to keep my hunting tools. Thank you for listening to my opinion.”
The Canadian Coalition for Gun Rights (CCFR) has recently been criticized for using the promotional code “POLY” to offer customers a discount on items in its online store.
The Polytechnique massacre resulted in the murder of 14 engineering students who were shot dead in their Montreal college by a gunman with anti-feminist aims.
After Price’s post was heavily criticized online, the Habs apologized.
France Margaret Bélanger, president of Groupe CH, the company that owns the Montreal Canadiens hockey team, said Radio-Canada that Price was unaware of the upcoming anniversary of the massacre, nor of the CCFR promotional code.
Tuesday, Price took to Instagram again to emphasize that he was aware of this dark moment in Canadian history and would never intentionally cause pain to those affected by gun violence.
“Despite a previous statement released, I was in fact aware of the tragedy,” he wrote in his Stories. “I have been a member of the MTL community for 15 years and I understand the weight this has within the community.
He went on to say he stands by his opinion on Bill 21, but acknowledged that by amplifying the conversation around guns this week, he is apologizing to those most affected by the event that he could have upset.
Online, many people expressed disbelief at the Habs’ original statement, whether Price could have known about the massacre, or why he would support the CCFR.
Others felt that people were going too hard on Price.
PolySeSouvient, a gun control group formed after the Polytechnique massacre, also took to Twitter to point out that Price’s early comments were fueled by misinformation.
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