ONTARIO—The new federal government made an election commitment to ban ‘all military-style assault rifles,’ including the AR-15, and to work with all provinces and territories to give municipalities the ability to further restrict or ban handguns.
That mandate has prompted municipal leaders to debate and take positions on firearms in communities across Canada. Recently, the City of Toronto became the latest municipality to weigh in on firearm policies, calling for national firearm bans.
The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) doesn’t support a ban approach to reducing violent crime, and groups like the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) agree, acknowledging that Canada currently has strict firearms laws and actions like a handgun ban, but it doesn’t address the issue of illegal firearms and organized crime, an OFAH release notes.
“Unfortunately, the federal government has created a dialogue that focuses on law-abiding Canadians, distracts from real issues and creates a false sense of security in a plan that has little potential to reduce crime. The government has regularly used misleading statistics and capitalized on a lack of public understanding for Canada’s existing firearms laws in an effort to generate support for firearms bans,” the release continues.
As part of the government’s plan, they’ve pledged $250 million for a ban and buy-back programs that will do nothing but siphon much-needed investment from addressing the root causes of gun violence and delay meaningful action to enhance public safety. It’s an unacceptable approach, says the OFAH.
“The OFAH is calling for true government leadership on the issue of violent crime and illegal firearms,” said OFAH president Rob Hare. “We need investments that support policing and the justice system to target violent crime and illegal firearms, as well as programming that will focus on the social determinants and other root causes that lead to violence, gun violence and organized crime. We don’t need to spend money to take firearms out of the hands of responsible, law-abiding Canadians.”
Standing up against firearms proposals that do absolutely nothing to reduce crime and do everything to attack responsible gun owners is the reason Canadians count on the OFAH, the release says.
“We are not going to tolerate more wasted tax dollars on government schemes that target hunters, sport shooters and gun collectors—especially since we are the ones who advocate for firearms safety and training, and keep conservation and the economy strong through participation in outdoor pastimes,” Mr. Hare said.
The government of Ontario has been clear in their opposition to firearm bans and their desire to focus action on reducing illegal guns and gang violence. The OFAH fully supports this common-sense approach that respects law-abiding firearm owners. The federal government has stated they want to respect firearm owners; however, their past and proposed actions don’t support this promise, said the OFAH.
“It’s not too late to have meaningful discussions and find a path forward that truly respects law-abiding Canadian firearms owners,” says Mr. Hare. “The OFAH is committed to working with all levels of government to reframe discussions, investment and policy on the issues that will actually keep Canadians safe.”
Public Safety Minister Bill Blair has indicated the federal government will be shortly producing a list of semi-automatic weapons that will be banned in Canada. The Liberals promised during the federal election campaign to ban military-style assault rifles and give municipalities the ability to put limitations or bans on handguns within their own borders. The party also said owners of legally-purchased firearms that fall under the ban would receive fair-market compensation for their weapons as part of a buyback program.
