I want to be happy about King's announcement, but the fact is, I like the long gun registry. Let me explain before I incur the wrath of the usual suspects:
I went to the trouble of taking the Canadian test for acquiring a Possession and Acquisition Licence and then registered all the guns I might want to bring along on my Fall waterfowl/prairie gamebird trips to Saskatchewan. The long gun registration is rediculously easy and a marvel of bureaucratic efficiency.
Everyone else on my arrival plane has to present their temporary registration papers and hand over the %50 bucks while their gun is flyspecked by customs personnel to make sure there's no error in the serial number or something like that. Meanwhile, I present my P.A.L. and permanent registration card and walk right through with everyone thinking I must be some sort of VIP.
You are certainly right that the registry had its advantages for Americans who went the route you took. However, all is not lost. The PAL is still a requirement and if you have one, then I expect that your passage through Canadian customs will continue to be as smooth as it was before.
