Envoy Carried Illegal Handgun: Flouted Canada's Strict Weapons Laws

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TORONTO - Former U.S. Ambassador to Canada Paul Robinson has created a ruckus with his admission that, in defiance of Canada's strict gun laws, he always carried a snub-nosed .38 in his briefcase.

Known in Canada as the "cowboy ambassador" for his outspoken manner and his description of the country as a "great big Idaho," Mr. Robinson revealed his pistol-packing ways in interviews conducted by the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training.

The Arlington-based organization founded by retired U.S. Foreign Service officers conducted the interview as part of a collection of oral histories of American diplomats. The collection, which dates back to the 1920s, …