Raptors, Trudeau join forces to combat gun violence in Canada

The Toronto Raptors turned to a pretty powerful figure this week to help push forward their initiative against gun violence across the country.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joined the Raptors organization — and team president Masai Ujiri — to mark the first annual National Day Against Gun Violence, which is set to take place on the first Friday in June each year.

“[We need to] take time for young people every single day to know if we are going to create a better world, the most important thing we can do is making sure that young people see themselves as not just able, but necessary to shape that better world,” Trudeau said as part of an address to the crowd in attendance at the OVO Athletic Centre on Thursday.

“We recognize first and foremost, that this is a complex challenge. Because it’s not just about guns. Underlying issues also include mental health, poverty, [and] gender-based violence. Gun violence is something we must fight on many different fronts across the country.”

Canada has witnessed an over 80% rise in violent crimes involving guns since 2009, per the Office of the Prime Minister.

The first edition of the day is Friday, June 2, with Canadians encouraged to wear white as “a symbol of peace and ceasefire.”

Trudeau and Ujiri met last July to discuss gun violence, which included highlighting and amplifying a petition that nearly 30,000 Canadians signed to help enact the National Day Against Gun Violence.

“I don’t like the news anymore,” Ujiri added. “[The threat of gun violence] has become closer to us. We all need to pay attention in our beloved Canada.”

John Wiggins, who serves as the Raptors’ vice president of organizational culture and inclusion, spoke to Daily Hive about why the organization felt it necessary to get involved with the cause.

“What we realized is the Raptors are a reflection of the country,” Wiggins said. “When we think about diversity, when we think about the issues that people face, we think about our players and some of the kind of the paths they’ve taken to get to their success… we want to be community leaders. We know that we’ve got a strong platform and a strong voice.”

Wiggins, who has been in his role with the team since 2020, said the franchise is partnering with community organizations to help promote their vision of a safer city and country.

“I think we just need to make people realize what gun violence looks like in Canada,” Wiggins added. “We all want to be safe on the TTC, we all want to be safe when we go out in the streets, to parks. This is about showing people where safer communities look like… let’s stop it from getting any worse.”

Wiggins also discussed the situation around Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant, who was suspended eight games earlier this season for brandishing a gun on an Instagram live broadcast while inside an Atlanta nightclub.

Though Morant apologized for his actions in a statement and received counselling while away from the team, he appeared on a separate Instagram live broadcast following his team’s first-round elimination from the playoffs, again showing off a firearm.

“Ja is young, and we all want to lead in these spaces. This is about showing youth and young adults what matters, what’s important, and how we should lead not only as an NBA family but as the Raptors and as basketball players,” Wiggins added. “Any example that we can show all of our different brethren and brothers across the NBA about what leadership in the community looks like, we’re going to continue to do that.”

NBA commissioner Adam Silver hinted at more discipline coming to Morant prior to Thursday night’s Game 1 of the NBA Finals, though said he’d make his announcement following the series.

As for why Wiggins finds the work he does fulfilling, he says it’s only natural to want to help out his community as a native of Mississauga.

“This is truly personal for me in wanting to build up our city and do what I can as a contributing citizen, and I’ve been given an amazing platform to do that,” he added.

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