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Personally, I don't think anyone is "out to kill the sport", especially with clearsoft still being sold in retail chains; they're simply trying to enforce laws which are already on the books. The cops didn't make those laws, the Liberals did -- something to keep in mind next time you're at the ballot box, if you really are pissed off by what's going down.
But honestly, it doesn't really surprise me. Those of us who've been around long enough remember the late 90s, after C68 got passed, when the only retailers around were Tru, APEC and some other outfit I don't remember the name of (the guy's name was Leblanc I think...). Or used stuff on the [US-based] AirsoftZone dboard, if you could find a fellow Canadian selling stuff.
In the past few years, I've seen retailers multiply and prices drop considerably. If anything, post-C68 Canada seemed to have more airsoft flowing in than ever before. To help matters even more, we saw a huge rise in self-righteous newcomers who seemed to feel a constant urge to challenge the state of airsoft's legality, attempt to find new and clever ways to outsmart Customs to save a few dollars, and pull a few really bone-headed stunts to boot, insuring airsoft a big prominent spot on everyone's radar.
Everyone who joined up after 1998 knew straight-up airsoft was in grey area AT BEST; you knew the risks and you got in anyway and you even got your way for a while, but don't go and act all surprised and indignated now that it's turned around and threatened to bite you in the ass. Everyone who was here before you told you to lay low and not rock the boat, but apparently that's way too much to ask of some people.
PS. the PAL idea is great. I'm all for that.
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