TORONTO, Aug. 5, 2022 /CNW/ – Today the Government of Canada announced a temporary import ban on the importation of restricted handguns which will take effect on August 19, 2022.
Wendy Cukier, founder of the Coalition for Gun Control, an alliance of more than 200 organizations and founded in the wake of the Montreal Massacre, believes this is an important step forward to reduce gun violence and stem the flow of these guns into Canada.
"Legal handguns are a significant source of handguns used in crime and are the guns most often used in mass shootings. Canadians want them banned. Few handguns are made in Canada. They are mostly imported. The number of legally owned handguns has exploded from 360,000 in 2006 to over a million today. And with the announcement of the intended handgun ban, imports have skyrocketed – double the number were imported this year compared to last year. This is an important immediate step ahead of the expected full ban on the sale and import of handguns outlined in Bill C-21. While smuggled guns are part of the problem, legally owned handguns are misused and diverted to illegal purposes. We need to pass and implement Bill C-21 which will also prevent sales and transfers and we need to stop issuing new restricted weapons permits. We also, of course, need to address the issues of smuggled guns. The measures announced today will go a long way to cap the legal supply of hand guns, stem proliferation and keep Canadians safe."
SOURCE Coalition for Gun Control
