You've got to love bureaucrats. Poor D.T. Anderson has been trying to register his handgun in Canada, as is mandated by law. Unfortunately, but he isn't having much luck.

I called the firearms registration centre several times in the last two months. During that time, I've heard innumerable excuses:

- Until Bill C-10-A becomes law, you can't own that firearm;
- Bill C-10-A is law, but we're waiting for instruction from the minister;
- Bill C-10-A isn't law;
- Bill C-10-A is law;
- Is;
- Isn't.
Then on Thursday morning I was told that I never applied to have the firearm registered under the new registry system, so the gun is subject to confiscation and I could be found guilty of a criminal offence. So I faxed them a copy of the receipt proving I registered the firearm via their website nearly three years ago, well in advance of the deadline.

I called the Canadian Firearms Centre again on Thursday morning, and this time I finally managed to reach someone who could explain what was going on. She told me that the firearm was registered, but that the registration had expired because the owner had died.

Really?

Someone with my name, residing at my address in the city of Edmonton, died -- get this -- in May of 2007. The person informing me of that date did so in a very matter-of-fact way, as if nothing could possibly be wrong.

"You're based in New Brunswick, right?" I asked.

"Yes," said the voice on the phone.

"What year is it there?" I inquired.