While successive US Governments, including the current one led by Joe Biden have continued to go round in circles in dealing with gun violence with no political will to deal with issues relating to it, its northern neighbour, Canada yesterday made a major proclamation that the first Friday of June each year should be marked as National Day Against Gun Violence.
Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, made the announcement yesterday and today June 2, 2023 is therefore being marked as the first National Day Against Gun Violence. The day honours the victims of gun violence, bringing awareness to the crisis in Canada and encouraging Canadians to come together to find solutions.
The proclamation is seen a recognition of the fact that as a country, Canada and Canadians know that one life taken by gun violence is one too many, and everyone in Canada deserves to feel safe in their community.
PM Trudeau, while making the announcement at the Toronto Raptors’ practice facility, was joined by Raptors Vice-Chairman and Team President Masai Ujiri, anti-gun violence community groups and civic leaders. The Raptors played a critical role in rallying nearly 30,000 Canadians to sign a petition to bring the day to reality.
The National Day Against Gun Violence will be a day of solemn remembrance for the victims of senseless violence in Canada, and a time to pay tribute to their families and loved ones who live with pain that will never truly go away. It is a day to recommit to doing better – for those families, and for every Canadian. It will also be a time to envision a better future, where everyone can feel safe in their community.
Statistics show that gun violence has been on the rise. One in three homicides in Canada is related to firearms, and Canada has witnessed over 80 per cent rise in violent crimes involving guns since 2009. Since 2016, the federal government has invested more than $1.3 billion to address gun violence and keep guns out of the hands of gangs and criminals. This includes a commitment of $827.6 million over ten years through the ‘Initiative to Take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence’, $250 million over five years through the ‘Building Safer Communities Fund’, and $312 million over five years to enhance Canada’s firearm control framework.On March 30, 2023, the Mass Casualty Commission released its final report, ‘Turning the Tide Together’. The Commission was a joint Canada-Nova Scotia supported public inquiry created to examine the mass casualty of April 18 to 19, 2020, in Nova Scotia. The final report provides findings to help make communities safer in the future, including recommendations regarding access to firearms, and noting the connection to gender-based and intimate partner violence.
The Government of Canada says it has already taken significant action to help keep Canadians safe from gun violence by putting several measures in place, including:
- Banning 1,500 models of assault-style firearms and their variants through regulations in 2020. That number has since increased to approximately 2,000 due to new firearms models introduced by manufacturers since the 2020 ban, as well as the addition of variants to the list.
- Taking preventative action, through the Building Safer Communities Fund, to stop gun violence before it starts by investing in community-led projects to empower young people to make good decisions.
- Securing its borders through investments of nearly half a billion dollars over the past two years.
- Increased cooperation with the United States to stop gun smuggling.
- Introducing Bill C-21, Canada’s toughest gun control laws in a generation, to combat organized crime, address the alarming role of guns in gender-based violence, and prohibit the sale, purchase, and transfer of handguns.
Bill C-21 was initiated last year and it represents the most significant changes to gun control legislation in more than 40 years. It introduces a national freeze on the sale, purchase and transfer of handguns into law.
This national freeze took effect via regulations on October 21, 2022. The Bill also includes significant measures to address the alarming role of guns in gender-based violence through red and yellow flag laws; strengthen border controls by increasing maximum penalties for gun traffickers; create authorities to combat firearms smuggling, trafficking, and related offences; establish new firearm-related offences and strengthened penalties; and address the growing threat of illegally manufactured firearms – otherwise known as “ghost guns.”
For several years across Canada, gun violence has scarred the communities. With the celebration every year of the National Day Against Gun Violence, the government says it will recommit to a better future free from gun violence.
According to PM Trudeau: “Gun violence is a real and serious threat. The annual National Day Against Gun Violence will serve as a solemn reminder of the lives lost, of the families who live with the ongoing pain, and of our collective responsibility to do everything we can to prevent these senseless tragedies by putting an end to gun violence.”
As a symbol of peace and ceasefire, Canadians were asked to wear white on National Day Against Gun Violence.
Source and Image Credit: @CanadianPM
