Powered by
Sponsored by

Canada proposes freeze on handgun ownership

The country will also put a limit on long-gun magazines

canada-justin-trudeau-reuters Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau holds a press conference in Ottawa, Ontario, on Friday, Feb. 26, 2021, to provide an update on the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccine rollout in Canada |Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP

Canada's government is set to authorise legislation to impose a ban on buying and selling of handguns, anywhere in the country. “The day this legislation goes into effect it will no longer be possible to buy, sell, transfer or import handguns in Canada,” Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau told the Guardian. He also said that there was no reason for anyone in Canada to have a gun unless it was for sport shooting or hunting. 

The country will also put a limit on long-gun magazines so that it doesn't hold more than five rounds. The country also is planning a ban on the sale and transfer of large-capacity magazines. 

The mass shooting incident in an elementary school in Texas has raised concerns over gun safety all over the world. Canada already has stricter gun ownership rules in place. The freeze on handguns, if passed, will come into effect in autumn. 

The bill is the most ambitious effort by Trudeau's government yet to restrict access to firearms. The bill also proposes to take away firearms licenses of those involved in domestic violence and incidents such as stalking. 

📣 The Week is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@TheWeekmagazine) and stay updated with the latest headlines