GUN LAWS

Canada has a long tradition of firearm ownership. Hunting, sport shooting, and rural firearm use have been integral to Canadian life for centuries. Our early communities, particularly in northern and rural regions, relied on firearms for subsistence, protection, and maintaining livelihoods. Firearms were also historically included in cadet programs and marksmanship training — emphasizing skill, responsibility, and safety.

Despite this legacy, successive gun bans and increasingly restrictive legislation have limited lawful firearm ownership. However, empirical evidence suggests that these bans have not proportionally reduced violent crime. According to Statistics Canada, the majority of gun-related violent incidents in urban centers involve prohibited or illegally obtained firearms, not those legally owned and registered by citizens. Law-abiding firearm owners contribute minimally to violent crime; over 90% of guns used in crimes are obtained through illegal markets.

Gun ownership in Canada is tightly regulated, with licensing, background checks, storage, and transportation requirements. Law-abiding Canadians who follow these rules have proven to be responsible stewards of firearms. Bans that target legal owners have not effectively addressed criminal behavior and instead have restricted rural hunters, sport shooters, and those relying on firearms for self-reliance and protection in remote areas.

Furthermore, rural and Indigenous communities continue to depend on firearms for food security, pest control, and subsistence hunting. Removing access to lawful firearms directly impacts these communities, undermining traditional practices and self-sufficiency.

From a policy standpoint, it is clear: measures should focus on illegal firearms enforcement, border control, and criminal accountability rather than penalizing law-abiding Canadians. Reversing restrictive gun bans would allow responsible citizens to maintain their historical and practical uses of firearms while enabling law enforcement to focus on the true sources of gun violence.

In conclusion, Canada’s gun laws should reflect facts, not assumptions. Law-abiding firearm ownership is not the driver of violent crime; illegal firearms are. Effective public safety comes from targeting criminal activity, enhancing enforcement, and respecting the constitutional and historical rights of responsible Canadians. Reversing bans on legal firearms restores fairness, supports rural and recreational needs, and allows public safety resources to be directed where they are truly needed.