Canada has issued a ban on the sale of all handguns in order to curb gun violence. The order was passed by the country’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, on Friday, October 21. It is now illegal to buy, sell, or transfer handguns in the country.

In a statement, Trudeau said, “Canadians have the right to feel safe in their homes, in their schools, and in their places of worship. With handgun violence increasing across Canada, it is our duty to take urgent action to remove these deadly weapons from our communities”. He further added, “Today, we’re keeping more guns out of our communities, and keeping our kids safe.”

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Before the permanent ban on October 21, Canada had earlier issued a temporary restriction on the importing of guns into the country on August 19, 2022. 

The permanent ban on selling handguns was first introduced in Bill C-21, which is currently under debate and discussion in the country’s Parliament. If the bill becomes law, it will further solidify Canada’s gun control laws by “revoking the firearms licenses of those involved in acts of domestic violence or criminal harassment, continuing to fight gun smuggling and trafficking, and providing law enforcement more tools to investigate firearms crimes.”

The press release issued by Trudeau has also made certain exceptions like “high-performance sports shooting athletes and those who carry handguns as part of their lawful profession.” Exceptions have also been set in place for museums and the movie industry.

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The statement also affirms that the country has banned around 1,500 types of firearms that have assault-style features while also making background checks more extensive.

Trudeau had first proposed the freeze on all gun sales in the country after the Uvalde, Texas massacre, in which 19 children were killed. He had then said, “We cannot let the guns debate become so polarized that nothing gets done. We cannot let that happen in our country”.