Globe editorial: After Christchurch, does Canada need tougher gun laws? GlobeDebate
The same survey estimated there are almost 13 million civilian-owned guns in Canada, or about 35 for every 100 people. Canada ranks fifth in the world, based on that metric.All this to say that there are a lot of guns in Canada, including military-style semi-automatic rifles. Their magazine size is limited under the law, but a determined person can easily get around that.
This month, in the wake of the Christchurch massacre, the New Zealand government moved swiftly to ban semi-automatic military-style assault rifles that can accommodate large magazines. In Canada, the government is close to passing a bill that would stiffen some of the rules around legal gun ownership. But is that enough to limit opportunities for mass shootings? Does it reduce the likelihood of guns being used in other crimes? The Liberals are also pondering a ban on handguns and semi-automatic military-style assault weapons.
There are a lot of questions about guns in Canada right now, and not just because of the Christchurch tragedy. We are living in the aftermath of the mass shooting on Danforth Avenue in Toronto last summer, which was carried out with illegal handguns, and the massacre at a Quebec City mosque in 2017, where the killer was a licensed owner using legally purchased guns.
At the same time, here’s a surprising statistic: Despite the huge number of guns owned by Canadians, only about a third of murders in recent years involved a firearm.Story continues below advertisement
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