"The irony is, in Canada, the statistical probability of being shot is in the same ballpark as being struck by lightening."

Only if you ignore the most common 2 scenarios, suicide (80%) of gunshot deaths, and domestic homicide or personal disputes where one of the parties has access to a firearm. 

You are correct that the use of firearms in other categories of crime is uncommon in Canada. Gunshot victims are most likely to be the owner, followed by someone the owner knows or has simply gotten into a dispute with.

The higher rate of attempted and successful suicide among gun owners illustrates how they are an aberrant minority among the mainstream of Canadian culture.