Inky Mark facing 26 additional weapons charges

WINNIPEG — A former member of Parliament accused of firearms trafficking has been hit with 26 new charges after an RCMP investigation uncovered 445 guns and more than four times the legal limit of explosives at his Dauphin home.

Inky Mark, 78, was rearrested Aug. 12 and charged with 26 offences, including weapons trafficking, unauthorized possession of prohibited and restricted firearms, possessing firearms with ammunition without a licence or registration, failing to report lost firearms and possessing more than six kilograms of explosives. He was released from police custody.

In total, he faces 38 charges in connection with the months-long investigation, RCMP said Wednesday.

“I think this is definitely going to be a wake-up call to some people,” Cpl. Barry Kirby of the RCMP west district investigative section said Wednesday.

Mark, who was as an MP in the riding of Dauphin-Swan River-Marquette from 1997 to 2010, was initially charged with 12 weapons offences, including firearms trafficking, possessing a firearm with a tampered serial number and possession of property obtained by crime.

Police seized hundreds of firearms, ammunition, an antique cannon and more than $300,000 in cash from a Dauphin residence in July.

RCMP said investigators have finished processing the evidence and determined Mark possessed 445 firearms — six more than initially reported.

Kirby called the large bust “very rare.”

“I know personally this is the largest seizure I’ve ever been involved in and I think in Manitoba it certainly would be one of the largest ones in a number of years,” Kirby said.

Of the firearms, 295 were improperly stored and 10 were prohibited. Another 11 restricted or prohibited firearms were not registered to Mark, while some were stored with readily available ammunition.

Investigators also seized 26.5 kilograms of explosives in the form of exploding targets, commonly known under the brand name Tannerite — more than four times the amount a licensed person is permitted to possess, RCMP said.

Two firearms registered to Mark remain unaccounted for.

When reached by phone Wednesday, Mark’s Ontario-based lawyer Edward Burlew, an attorney who specializes in gun law, said when it comes to his client, “I’m going to make no comment whatsoever unless it’s in a court of law.”

RCMP said Wednesday the investigation uncovered a separate incident alleged to have occurred between December 2024 and February 2025, which was reported to police on July 13, the same day Mark’s arrest was announced.

Police allege Mark responded to a friend’s social media post complaining about a coyote on their property by showing up unprompted and giving the person a firearm and ammunition. The weapon was not used and has since been recovered.

“Firearms are dangerous and in the wrong hands, either by someone who is not supposed to possess them or somebody who doesn’t know how to safely handle them, a firearm can prove deadly,” Kirby said. “So that’s certainly concerning to us that a firearm was provided to someone who was not lawfully allowed to possess that.”

Kirby said Mark has been co-operating with the investigation.

Tracey Wilson, vice-president of public relations with the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights, said the group is monitoring the case.

She said the federal government did a poor job of educating people about changes to firearms legislation (Bill C-71 and Bill C-21) — which the group opposes — and the charges are a result of administrative failings.

“This is the case with a lot of older firearms users,” Wilson said. “They don’t realize there has been changes to the process.”

She said for 30 years, transfer of a gun was much simpler, but now sellers and buyers have to verify through an RCMP portal that they are properly licensed.

“It conjures up these images of Inky Mark running around, selling guns on the black market, and that’s simply not the case,” she said.

“If nothing else, it’s a wake-up call to other collectors or other owners,” she said. “This is an unfortunate incident for Inky Mark, but a learning experience for the rest of us.”

She said the RCMP should focus on smuggled firearms.

Kirby said the RCMP fully supports licensed gun owners, who are responsible for following the rules and keeping abreast of any changes, to preserve public safety.

“It’s always good for people to be aware and up to date on those laws and changes, and to have a refresher even,” he said.

“If you’re a lawful firearms owner, you double-check, make sure your firearms are properly stored, and make sure you’re doing everything above board and legally.”

» Winnipeg Free Press, with files from Morgan Modjeski