Controversial pro-gun rally to be held at sugar shack near Quebec City

MONTREAL – A pro-gun lobby that was criticized for planning a rally at a memorial site for the 14 women killed at Ecole polytechnique has a new location for the event: a sugar shack.

The group says Saturday’s protest will be held in the Portneuf area near Quebec City.

Originally, it wanted to stage the event at Montreal’s Place du 6 decembre.

That idea was quickly and roundly blasted earlier this week by politicians of all stripes, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante.

Guy Morin, president of the pro-gun lobby, repeated Thursday his group did not realize the plan would generate such widespread denunciation.

Saturday’s protest will be held four days before the 28th anniversary of the deadliest mass shooting in Canadian history.

It is not clear how many people belong to the pro-gun group, which is called Tous contre un registre quebecois des armes a feu (All Against a Quebec Gun Registry).