First modification:
As of Friday, the Canadian federal government prohibits the importation of small arms, such as revolvers and pistols. The legislation is expected to be passed following a bill introduced in Parliament that bans the sale of such weapons. The authorities want to fight better against the violence that affects big cities like Montreal or Toronto. Although many celebrate this measure, others consider it ineffective because most weapons in circulation are illegal.
With Pascale Guericolas, RFI correspondent in Canada
In the weeks following the announcement of the upcoming firearms sales freeze, buyers rushed to specialty stores to stock up. The government found a way to curb sales. It has introduced a ban on importing small arms, to the satisfaction of Nathalie Provost. This survivor of a mass murder in 1989 in Montreal is an activist for the association Poly Recalls.
“The Conservatives rejected the possibility of limiting purchases pending the passage of the bill. So we had to find another solution,” he explains.
Canada produces very few handguns, so banning their import is equivalent to banning their trade. For Michael Ward, this type of sale represents almost a third of the turnover of his business:
“There are weapons that are in transit and are not accepted at customs. And we pay for them in advance, we are a small family business. Losing thousands of dollars is a problem,” he tells RFI.
According to this businessman, and many shooting practitioners, these types of measures will have no effect on violence in large cities. Most of the weapons used are illegal, often smuggled in from the United States.
Add Comment