Today, the Honourable Marco Mendicino, Minister of Public Safety, today issued the following statement on the National Day Against Gun Violence:
"Canadians deserve to be safe in their communities. Today, marks the first National Day Against Gun Violence in Canada, which is to be held annually on the first Friday of June. Gun violence has devastating impacts on our communities, and today we hope to bring awareness to this issue and foster a national discussion about the causes and effects of gun violence in our communities.
That's why the Government of Canada is taking action on gun violence with a plan that gets firearms off our streets and puts more resources into our neighbourhoods. A central part of this work is stopping gun violence before it starts, through prevention and awareness initiatives.
No single program or initiative can tackle the challenge of gun violence on its own. Awareness initiatives like the National Day Against Gun Violence is one element of the government's comprehensive plan to keep Canadians safe.
This begins with strong borders, where we've invested nearly a half billion dollars over the past two years and deepened cooperation with the United States to fight gun smuggling. It includes strong legislation. Three years ago, the government banned assault-style firearms and last year banned the sale, purchase and transfer of handguns. These are central elements of Bill C-21 - Canada's most significant action on gun violence in a generation - which also combats organized crime and addresses the alarming role of guns in domestic violence. Finally, it includes strong prevention strategies, headlined by the $250 million Building Safer Communities Fund, to stop gun violence before it starts.
The Government has also provided an additional $390 million over five years starting in 2023, through the Initiative to Take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence (ITAAGGV). First announced in 2017, the ITAAGGV is helping interrupt the flow of smuggled and trafficked firearms by providing funding for equipment and technology for use at the border, and providing additional resources for law enforcement to address gang activity and the criminal use of firearms."
