[DOOK]

That S&W is plastic crap. Buy a Ruger SR-22. All metal.

Currently in Canada, you must satisfy 3 requirements to obtain a CCW permit.
1) You must document no fewer than 3 occurrences of attempts on your life, including police case #'s.
2) You must satisfy the CFO that you have taken use of force, and handgun training equivalent to what the armed guards have taken.
( good luck getting the training, as they will only register you if you have a valid job application to a security company)
3) This is the best one, you must submit an official letter from the local police/ RCMP stating that they can not provide you adequate protection of life. In other words, they can't/won't do their job.

The Supreme court has already ruled the police do not have a duty to protect life, only enforce Canada's laws. They have no liability.

Even after satisfying all three requirements, the CFO can, and will still say no, for no other reason than it is a MAY issue, not a SHALL issue permit.

This is why there are so few issued. Most of them to Judges, high ranking business men, and scumbag police informants.

Good enough for them, but not for you.

As far as NEED goes, do you want to start that discussion? Who here NEEDS a Camaro to get around? Or an SUV? Surely, you can still make it around in a small fuel efficient car, or take transit?
Who needs a big flat screen? You can still watch TV on a smaller monitor right? You don't need a lot of things in a free society.
Who gets to decide what is best for you? The government? Someone from Toronto?

If you want to really read the stats on ND's, vs. crimes prevented by CCW look no further than John Lott.
There is a reason it is working in the states that allow it. It is just common sense that punk kids won't mess with any random stranger if there is a chance, even a small chance that person is equipped to defend themselves, or others.

As far as I am concerned, in a supposedly free society, if you take the appropriate training, and have no violent criminal record, you should be able to defend yourself using what ever tool you feel comfortable possessing.
The training isn't even a requirement in some states, and yet the number of permits rescinded is statistically insignificant, as are ND injuries, or deaths.

You are free to do what you want, take what ever measures, or none in Toronto. If you feel safe, then great! It is a nice place to be in one's mind.
The truth is, wherever there are people, or some place people can get to, you are not safe. Not 100% of the time.
You certainly don't have the right to tell anyone else how they should feel, or prepare anywhere else in the world based on the transference of your own neurosis.
You trust thousands of drivers to not cross the center line, and head on your car every day. Cars are much more complex to operate than a handgun. Sure. Accidents can happen. We are only human. For some reason we just accept that with transportation. What is the difference?
People who have CCW, and gun owners in general have a much stronger moral compass than the general public. We have fewer conflicts with others because we have something more important than freedom at stake if something goes wrong.
We have a public image to uphold. We reflect good, or badly on all gun owners with our actions.