OTTAWA, Dec. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On the eve of the 35th anniversary of the Montreal Massacre on Dec. 6, 1989, the Coalition for Gun Control (CGC) and its supporters stood together at a Government of Canada announcement in Ottawa about regulations for former Bill C-21, an Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms). “Laws are only words on paper without strong regulations and implementation which is why we are pleased to see action today from the Government of Canada that they are proceeding with the buyback program and implementation of new regulations for the game-changing law,” said Wendy Cukier, co-founder of the Coalition for Gun Control. “Canada is set to accomplish what the Coalition for Gun Control (CGC) set out to do almost 35 years ago after the Montreal Massacre on Dec. 6, 1989.”
Over the last year, CGC has made a huge push for implementation of Bill C-21. The forward-looking legislation’s key measures include removing firearms from people who are a risk to themselves or others and implementing a ban on the import, transfer, and sale of handguns. There are further restrictions on prohibited military-style semi-automatic firearms and the buyback, but not firearms reasonable used in hunting. Additionally measures will address firearm diversion and smuggling.
“Countries have different definitions, lists, and rules, and there’s no recognized global standard for a global ban on military assault weapons but Canada’s approach to the implementation of measures including the buyback program which is a move forward from the past which allowed grandfathered owners and firearms to remain in communities is agile and forward-looking,” explains Cukier. “Over the last year, the policy process and consultations have also addressed legitimate concerns around Indigenous hunting rights.”
The law directly addresses the Mass Casualty Commission’s recommendations after the worst mass shooting in Canada’s history in Portapique, N.S. The call for a ban on handguns began with the Concordia University shooting in 1992, and has been amplified by CGC and many Coalition supporters. Already in effect is a temporary ban on the import, sale, and transfer of handguns.
“Firearms violence is experienced in many ways from gang violence and intimate partner violence to suicide, hate crimes and mass shootings,” adds Cukier. “All forms of gun violence are horrific. No one measure can remedy it all, but this law responds to the evidence from researchers, expert advice and public opinion. The law is a critical step forward and the best we have seen in the last three decades. We must come together to support the change-making legislation and its implementation.”
Founded in the wake of the Montreal massacre, the Coalition for Gun Control is a national network of more than 200 healthcare, violence prevention, community, victims, public safety and women’s organizations and has worked nationally on evidence-based strategies to reduce gun violence.
