Canada's gun laws, including background checks, haven't put a crimp on gun sales. They're accelerating apace with the US. What's interesting is last week: (1) the 10th anniversary of the Montreal Massacre and (2) Ottawa musing publicly about restricting use of the "assault rifle" used by a screwball in the shooting---in a country satisfied, according to polls, with gun laws as they are now. Your point is well taken: the trend generally is more surveillance and regulations while we buy more guns for our sports.