Montreal mayor commends federal government's new gun control legislation

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante says she welcomes the "strong signal" sent today by the federal government as it tabled new gun control legislation.

"The national tools to fight against armed and domestic violence are a gain for Montreal and all of the country's cities," she said in a statement.

"We hope that the step taken today by the Canadian government leads us toward the complete ban of handguns on our territory and out of the reach of young people."

Plante has long advocated for a federal ban on handguns, and while the new bill falls short of a complete ban, it would effectively limit their number in Canada.

"In other words, we're capping the market for handguns," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a news conference Monday.

"As we see gun violence continue to rise, it is our duty to keep taking action."

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino presented the bill, C-21, in the House of Commons Monday.

"The bill we just tabled represents a milestone amidst a long and difficult battle which takes place on our streets every single day," Mendicino told reporters later. 

"It's a battle which has claimed too many lives, leaving empty chairs at the dinner table, and empty desks in our classrooms."

Nathalie Provost, who was hit by four bullets in the Polytechnique shooting in 1989, said the new legislation will help curb the rise in Canadian gun violence.

"We still have to do more in order to decrease it," she said. "We have to do something strong and I think that this is a strong decision that was made today."

Provost commended the Liberal government's effort to consult the public, and said she is "very happy" legislators aren't ruling out a federal restriction on handguns. The handgun freeze is a very good first step, she said.

Michael Farkas, director of the Montreal organization Youth in Motion, said legislation that restricts handguns is good, but now it's a matter of how the bill will be applied.

"You have to hope that Canadians will collaborate," said Farkas. "There are responsibilities on both sides. I think the government is doing the right thing by proposing this bill."

Guns are already in Montreal, hidden and being used from time to time, Farkas said. The bill may not make those guns disappear or have an immediate impact on what's happening in Montreal, but it sends a strong message that guns will not be tolerated and "it needs to stop."

Farkas said, as far as he knows, guns being used on the streets of Montreal are illegal for the most part, but that message is still important.

"I still think education is the best tool — to educate youth, children and our population — that there is no use for guns in modern day society," said Farkas.