Montreal city council unanimously agreed to put in motion a nationwide ban on handguns and assault weapons amid growing concerns about gun violence and citizen’s safety across the country.
After July’s Danforth shooting in Toronto, Mayor John Tory called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to execute a handgun ban in Toronto, along with other requests to toughen up gun laws.
Following Toronto’s lead, Montreal’s motion unites Canada’s two largest cities in putting pressure on the federal government to tighten its gun control bill, C-71.
The motion was tabled by Alex Norris, chair of the city’s public security commission, on Monday.
The motion says Montreal’s council should ask Ottawa to prohibit all private possession of assault rifles and handguns except in the Canadian Armed Forces, police squads and other authorities mandated by the government.
The city is also asking for better screening of people wishing to acquire firearms legally.
According to a survey conducted by Statistics Canada, homicides committed by shootings have risen steadily every year in Canada since 2013. Gun-related murders have risen from 134 in 2013 to 223 in 2016.
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