Country Outlaws Additional 324 Firearm Models, Aiming to Donate Weapons to Ukraine – One America News Network
OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
6:26 PM – Monday, December 9, 2024
On Thursday, Canadian officials announced the prohibition of an additional 324 firearms, with the public safety minister asserting that these weapons were meant for the battlefield, not for use by hunters or sport shooters.
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Moreover, Ottawa revealed it is working alongside the Ukrainian government to explore how these weapons might be supplied to support Ukraine against Russia’s military actions.
According to nraila.org, “Trudeau’s government initiated its gun ban and compulsory confiscation plan without a proper implementation strategy. Taxpayers are likely facing escalating and unwanted costs for enforcement and compensation that could reach billions.”
This decision follows the banning of 1,500 firearm makes and models in May 2020, a figure that grew to nearly 2,000 by November of this year as “new variants were identified,” according to officials from AP News.
Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc revealed the latest ban during a Thursday announcement, prompted by advocates for gun control who expressed concerns that the initial ban in 2020 was insufficient in terms of assault-style rifles.
“These firearms will no longer be permitted for use,” LeBlanc explained.
Defense Minister Bill Blair added that Canada has already begun discussions with Ukrainian officials interested in some of the restricted weapons.
“Helping the Ukrainians in any way we can is a critical step toward their success,” Blair stated.
In addition, the federal government is reportedly collaborating with police and provincial governments on a planned buyback initiative of illegal firearms from private citizens. Although mass shooting incidents are relatively rare in Canada, these new regulations coincide with the 35th anniversary of the tragic École Polytechnique shooting in Montreal, where a gunman killed 14 women before taking his own life.
However, data from some Canadian sources suggest that the country’s stringent gun laws do not sufficiently curb crime and violence, as a black market for weapons still exists that criminals can access if necessary.
“The increase in firearm-related violent crimes in Canada during 2022 and beyond is primarily driven by rises in Ontario. The police reported 4,791 incidents in 2022—1,016 more than the previous year—accounting for 70 percent of Canada’s overall increase in such crimes. While StatCan indicates that incidents in Toronto were ‘especially high,’ nearly all cities have shown increases in firearm-related violent crimes,” per CTV News.
The Fraser Institute, a Canadian think tank dedicated to researching government actions, claims that safety in Canada is not as robust as officials assert.
“The rate of population-adjusted property crimes, such as burglary and theft, now exceeds that of the U.S., with 2,491 crimes occurring per 100,000 people in Canada in 2022—an increase of 7.0 percent from 2014,” they reported in November.
Canadian officials have acknowledged that firearms illegally smuggled into the country are often used by domestic criminal organizations.
Meanwhile, Pierre Poilievre, leader of the opposition Conservative party, criticized the announcement, labeling it as a “stunt” by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government, which he claims penalizes “licensed and law-abiding hunters and sport shooters.”
The complete list of newly banned firearms is available here.
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