56 pages Display Advertising 980-0511 —— The dual flavors of Szechuan, Cantones Dining Now: 21 Classifieds 986-6222 Distribution $86-1337 NEWS photo Tarry Potors MATHEW (left) and Mark Bennett measure the sunflower they grew in their back yard. The boys will be entering the plant in Maplewood Farm’s sunflower contest. The contest is part of the farm’s Sept. 12 fall fair. Sunflowers of all sizes are welcome, and judging is scheduted to take place at noon. Federal ban could put more weapons in criminal hands A LOCAL gunshop owner pre available to criminais on the street as gun coliectors try to recoup fosses im the face of un Oct. 1 federal ban on cer- tain categories of weapons. Oct. 1 is the last day for gun owners to register as ‘genuine’ gun collectors so that they may legally keep converted fully- automatic firearms, which become prohibited weapons. The weapons must be perma- nently converted to allow single- shot firing only. New federal orders in council include the prohibition of numerous assault pistols, combat shotguns, .50 calibre sniper rifles and other military-type firearms. ts that more guns By Michael Becker News Reporter Such firearms must be disposed of, surrendered or deactivated by Oct.1. Also effective Oct. 1 numerous semi-automatic assault rifles and similar firearms will become restricted weapons requiring regis- tration. Stun guns and similar devices l be are also prohibited. All such weapons designated as prohibited can be turned in to local police departments up until Oct. 1. But said Tom Bongalis, presi- dent of North Vancouver-based Castle Armoury, ‘‘These guns aren’t going to end up being con- fiscated — they'll end up in the Streets. They'll sell them anywhere they can to reclaim some of their money. The Canadian criminal is going to be the best-armed crimi- nai in the world.” He said that many local gun collectors have thousands of dollars invested in their collec- tions. Many of the collectors he has “ss contact with, he said, will underground.”’ Said Bongalis, ‘‘Everyone is afraid — they don’t know which way they're (the government) go- ing to go. What’s going to go on the restriction list next week? They’re putting fear into anybody who owns a gun and they’re put- ting in restrictions that nobody is going to abide by. Just a straight registration would have been more than adequate.’’ One collector he knows bought a $7,000 Barret Light 50 (a .50 calibre rifle} about two months ago. ‘He's going 1o have to turn it in for destruction,’’ he said. Bongalis added that deactivated go guns are worthless. According to Judy Depner, the firearms clerk with the North Vancouver RCMP, some collec- tors are selling off collected guns in the U.S. North Vancouver gun owner Mike MacNeal said the new legis- lation does not deal with the crim- inal element. “This bill makes criminals out of law-abiding people, mostly col- lectors,’’ he said. Added MacNeal, ‘‘(Justice Minister) Kim Campbell doesn’t have the slightest idea about reducing violent crime. She is more interested in getting re- elected and staying on the gravy train.’}