Why Canadian Hand Gun Control Works & Why US Gun Control Does Not

Ontario Premier Doug Ford recently opposed additional hand gun controls by the City of Toronto.  Patchwork legislation on hand gun control would be very difficult to enforce and would likely have very little positive effect.  Handgun control needs to handled at a much larger level.

Canadian Provinces are very large compared to US States (as large as Texas + ALL of the New England States combined) and only well connected to any other Province on its eastern side to Quebec.  As such there MAY be an argument for tighter Provincial legislation but city scope legislation is likely to have only political implications.

Put simply, handgun control in Canada works because it is country wide.  In the United States there are a myriad of city and state hand gun laws and because the those jurisdictions are so small and easily traversed, localized gun laws have very little positive effect.

This is the same reason why legalizing marijuana in US has caused huge problems while Canada’s national pot legalization is unlikely to.  US States with legalized marijuana often serve the illegal market in adjacent States.  This brings more crime and more problems.

…Even though there are more than 500 recreational marijuana dispensaries in (Colorado), the black market is booming. It’s being driven by criminal organizations that grow weed in Colorado and smuggle their crop into states where it is still illegal and can be sold for a much greater profit.
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In Canada there is awareness among both the general population and politicians that guns and marijuana are easily transported which necessitates Federal regulation to avoid bleeding in nearby jurisdictions.

BRIEF HISTORY OF GUN REGULATION IN CANADA:

• Legislation in 1934 required the registration of handguns with records identifying the owner, the owner’s address and the firearm

• In 1969, Bill C-150 created categories of “non-restricted”, “restricted” and “prohibited” firearms. Police were also given preventive powers of search and seizure by judicial warrant if they had grounds to believe that firearms that belonged to an individual endangered the safety of society.
• In 1977, Bill C-51 required firearms acquisition certificates (FACs) to purchase any firearm, and introduced controls on the selling of ammunition. Applicants were required to pass a basic criminal record check before receiving the FAC.

• In 1991, Bill C-17 was introduced, coming into force between 1992 and 1994. It required FAC applicants to pass a safety course in addition to a thorough background check, and to wait a minimum of 28 days after applying before an FAC could be issued. It also created new Criminal Code offences, new definitions for prohibited and restricted weapons, and new regulations for firearms dealers. It increased penalties for firearm-related crimes. It clearly outlined regulations for firearms storage, handling and transportation.  A major focus of C-17 was the control of military and paramilitary firearms. It created orders prohibiting or restricting most paramilitary rifles and some types of non-sporting ammunition
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The City of Toronto would be well advised to lobby the Province and Federal Government to tighter hand gun regulations.

Canadian hand guns are currently stored in two Pandora’s Boxes, the United States and National Legislation.  If either of those boxes is opened it will impossible to close.  Strong borders and guns laws keep Canadians safe.  We don’t think many Canadians, other than those in a very small ideological vocal minority, want their communities to be Americanized.