Ironically, the shooting occurred at a Taber, Alberta high school, the same province that is leading a fight to strike down the Firearms Act as unconstitutional. .

             On February 21 and 22 of this year, the Supreme Court of Canada was asked to rule whether the toughest gun control laws ever passed in Canada was unconstitutional. The previously mentioned incidents involving firearms were used to boost the case for gun control advocates, including police chiefs, health and victims" groups and the City of Toronto. Lawyers for the provinces involved and several pro-gun organizations claimed that "federal legislation does nothing to make Canadians safer". Furthermore, they denounced the law as "an intrusion on provincial jurisdiction". On the other hand, Graham Garton, lawyer for the federal government, told the hearing that anti-gun control talk "makes for good provincial politics". He says, "I think it"s clear that Alberta and the challengers have come forward with a political argument dressed up as a legal argument and the clothes just don"t fit." Roderick McLennan, lawyer for the Alberta government, countered that statement saying, "I don"t think we"re putting forward a political argument at all.".

             The provinces against the legislation argue that the 1995 statute invades provincial jurisdiction over property and civil rights. The government of Alberta claims that:.

             "Only Canada, the Women's Shelters and the Coalition (for gun control) argue that the Firearms Act and related provisions under the Criminal Code are, in their entirety, within the constitutional power of Parliament. All of the other interveners, with the exception of Ontario, support Alberta's position that the licensing and registration provisions infringe on the province's jurisdiction in relation to "property and civil rights" [under s.92 (13) of the Constitution Act, 1867] to the extent that they relate to "ordinary firearms".