Heidi Rathjen has been calling for a ban on assault-style rifles since 1989, when a gunman opened fire on her classmates at Montreal's École Polytechnique. The shooting, in which 14 women were killed and more than a dozen injured, was a turning point for Canada, changing how the country viewed gun violence.
More than two decades later, after another deadly mass shooting in 2020, Ottawa did roll out a ban on some 2,500 models of such assault-style weapons. But a scheme designed to buy back these now-prohibited guns from their owners has had a bumpy rollout, and the program looks likely to miss the mark.
Many legal gun owners are distrustful of the process, two provinces have refused to take part, and even gun control activists like Rathjen say the federal efforts, though a win for public safety, are flawed because the ban does not apply widely enough. Without a comprehensive ban on assault weapons, there is no ban… and the money will be wasted, said Rathjen, a spokesperson for gun control advocacy group PolySeSouvient.
Even Canada's own minister of public safety, Gary Anandasangaree, was caught criticizing his government's plan in an audio clip leaked to the Toronto Star. Don't ask me to explain the logic to you on this, he told a Toronto man in a secretly recorded conversation late last year, when pressed on the program's value when most gun crimes in Canada are committed with illegal weapons.
Anandasangaree later said his comments were misguided, and that he believes in the program's importance.
The pushback is unfolding in a country that is widely supportive of gun control, and has much more stringent gun laws than the United States. Polling suggests most Canadians believe gun laws in their country are just right or not strict enough, with 82% in 2020 supporting a ban on military-style assault weapons.
Canada's plan for gun owners is to be reimbursed by the government when they turn in their weapons, similar to measures in Australia and New Zealand. However, as reported, Alberta and Saskatchewan, two conservative provinces, have refused to participate, exposing the fractures in the national approach. While an amnesty period for gun owners has been extended several times, the deadline for firearms to be destroyed is set, putting pressure on governmental initiatives known for their public safety importance but plagued with operational challenges.
As the clock ticks, activists and authorities alike are questioning whether the current strategy will truly address firearm-related violence in Canada.
More than two decades later, after another deadly mass shooting in 2020, Ottawa did roll out a ban on some 2,500 models of such assault-style weapons. But a scheme designed to buy back these now-prohibited guns from their owners has had a bumpy rollout, and the program looks likely to miss the mark.
Many legal gun owners are distrustful of the process, two provinces have refused to take part, and even gun control activists like Rathjen say the federal efforts, though a win for public safety, are flawed because the ban does not apply widely enough. Without a comprehensive ban on assault weapons, there is no ban… and the money will be wasted, said Rathjen, a spokesperson for gun control advocacy group PolySeSouvient.
Even Canada's own minister of public safety, Gary Anandasangaree, was caught criticizing his government's plan in an audio clip leaked to the Toronto Star. Don't ask me to explain the logic to you on this, he told a Toronto man in a secretly recorded conversation late last year, when pressed on the program's value when most gun crimes in Canada are committed with illegal weapons.
Anandasangaree later said his comments were misguided, and that he believes in the program's importance.
The pushback is unfolding in a country that is widely supportive of gun control, and has much more stringent gun laws than the United States. Polling suggests most Canadians believe gun laws in their country are just right or not strict enough, with 82% in 2020 supporting a ban on military-style assault weapons.
Canada's plan for gun owners is to be reimbursed by the government when they turn in their weapons, similar to measures in Australia and New Zealand. However, as reported, Alberta and Saskatchewan, two conservative provinces, have refused to participate, exposing the fractures in the national approach. While an amnesty period for gun owners has been extended several times, the deadline for firearms to be destroyed is set, putting pressure on governmental initiatives known for their public safety importance but plagued with operational challenges.
As the clock ticks, activists and authorities alike are questioning whether the current strategy will truly address firearm-related violence in Canada.
