Gun violence has caused many devastating outcomes in many communities across Canada. Many Canadians have lost their lives in gun violence. According to Statistics in Canada, firearms were used in over 40% of homicides in Canada in 2019.
The number of registered firearms in Canada increased by 71% between 2010 and 2020, reaching approximately 1.1 million.
Today the temporary import ban on the importation of restricted handguns is announced by Melanie Joly, Minister of foreign affairs, and Marco Mendicino, Minister of public safety.
In a restricted number of exceptions to bill 21, handguns will no longer be permitted to be imported by individuals and businesses. These restrictions will take effect from August 19 to August 25 2022, until the federal freeze is implemented.
Melanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, says We know that the number of Canadian killed by gun violence is too many. As a government, it is our job to ensure that Canada remains one of the safest places in the world.
The ban on the importation of registered handguns announced today will help keep the guns off our streets as we are working towards implementing bill C-21, which will help reduce gun violence in the immediate term.
Marco Mendicino, minister of public safety, also shares his thoughts about the temporary ban on the importation of restricted guns. He said My priority as minister is keeping Canadians safe in their communities. Today’s announcements prove that we are using all tools at our disposal to fight gun crime in our country.
It is a crucial pillar of our plan to address it, along with investments in prevention actions at our borders, a ban on assault-style weapons and bill c-21 Canada’s most significant action on gun violence in a generation.
