VOTE: Do you think a handgun ban in Toronto would be effective?
As Toronto continues to move forward to combat gun-related violence, city council and the provincial government remain divided on the specific actions that should be taken.
On Thursday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford publicly discussed that he is against the city council-requested ban on the sale of handguns in Toronto.
“I wouldn’t support a ban on handguns,” Ford said. “We have to refocus all our resources going after the bad guys, not the good guys.”
Rigorous gun control, alongside investments in neighbourhoods and community-based policing, is a critical part of the solution to gun violence. As usual, Doug Ford is on the wrong side of the issue. https://t.co/u18a0w3cEs
— Joe Cressy (@joe_cressy) August 9, 2018
A motion put forward by Councillor Joe Cressy calls on the provincial and federal governments to ban the sale of handguns and handgun ammunition in Toronto, which passed on a vote of 41 to four. This was put forward shortly after the deadly handgun attack in Toronto’s Danforth neighbourhood, which left two dead, in addition to the shooter.
Former Toronto police chief Bill Blair, now the federal Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction, told The Canadian Press the latest shootings are of “significant concern for Canadians.“
“We are quite prepared to look at how — in certain parts of the country perhaps — greater restrictions might be implemented. But in addition to that, you have to recognize that in and of itself is not the sole solution,” Blair said to The Canadian Press.
As part of Ford’s argument to continue to make handguns available for sale, the premier used Chicago as a example of city with the proposed ban that still suffers from a high number of shooting. But the U.S. city hasn’t had a handgun ban since 2010.
“You look at Chicago…and they have a ban and guess what, last week they had 72 shootings, 72 or 76 shootings,” Ford said.
Official opposition leader, the provincial NDPs Andrea Horwath, took to Twitter to condemn Ford’s statements against a handgun ban in Toronto, calling his defense “wrong.”
That’s why Doug Ford’s pronouncement Thursday morning that he refuses to even consider options for getting handguns off Toronto streets and out of urban centres is disturbing. His defense of handguns as having a place in downtown Toronto is wrong. /2
— Andrea Horwath (@AndreaHorwath) August 9, 2018
There is an urgent need to address the sale, possession & use of handguns & ammunition within densely populated urban areas & municipalities. There is an urgent need to stop gun violence from going from bad to worse. Measures to enhance community safety are worth considering. /3
— Andrea Horwath (@AndreaHorwath) August 9, 2018
And addressing the root causes of gun violence – by improving mental health care, tackling poverty, building affordable housing, and addressing the lack of opportunity for youth – is a critical part of saving lives and making all Ontarians safer. /4
— Andrea Horwath (@AndreaHorwath) August 9, 2018
Dragging Ontario backwards, Ford has cut mental health funding $330 M/yr. He’s cut social assistance rates & cancelled the #BasicIncome pilot, driving desperate people further into poverty. And he’s ruled out any action to get handguns out of dense urban centres like Toronto. /5
— Andrea Horwath (@AndreaHorwath) August 9, 2018
I strongly oppose these actions, which will hurt all of us. It’s our job, as legislators, to take concrete action to make our streets safer. /6 #onpoli
— Andrea Horwath (@AndreaHorwath) August 9, 2018
Toronto mayoral candidate Jennifer Keesmaat also responded to Ford’s comments, saying handguns “should have been banned long ago.”
People in Toronto are rightly worried about the gun violence that has plagued our city this summer and before. Handguns should've been banned long ago in this city, but a ban isn't enough on its own. 1/2
— jennifer keesmaat (@jen_keesmaat) August 9, 2018
We must engage communities to work collaboratively to address the root causes of this violence. We know we need to do a better job of developing local programming & economic opportunities that drive people away from violent paths. 2/2
— jennifer keesmaat (@jen_keesmaat) August 9, 2018
Handguns in Canada are classified as “restricted” or “prohibited” firearms. Restricted firearms require an individual to complete an additional safety course, the Canadian Restricted Firearms Safety Course (CRFSC), and the firearms are usually used for target practice or target shooting competitions. Individuals can only possess prohibited firearms if they held a valid registration for the gun when it became prohibited, which the Firearms Act refers to this as being “grandfathered”.
It's time to put public safety first. That is why our government announced $25 million in new resources over the next four years to protect innocent families from gun and gang violence. #onpoli pic.twitter.com/lB8a0GhMRv
— Ontario News Now (@OntarioNewsNow) August 9, 2018
The Ford government has announced that Toronto will receive $25 million in provincial funds, over four years, for gun and gang reduction efforts.
“Organized crime that starts in Toronto ends up spilling into Ottawa and other centres,” Ford said. “Fighting guns and gangs will remain a top priority.”
But is this investment enough? Does the province need to take a stand against handguns to help combat the increase in gun-related violence? Vote in the poll above and leave your thoughts in the comments below.
