When the Trudeau-led government proposed a bill in May, Bill C-21, which included several gun control measures, few thought it would lead to an unprecedented rise in the sales of hanguns.
However, firearm dealers have said that in the six months it took for the ban to take effect, handgun sales more than doubled. Thereby suggesting that the Liberal government’s announcement resulted in a spike in the sale of handguns.
For firearms retailer J.R. Cox, who owns the Toronto-area Target Sports Canada in Gormley, Ontario and The Shooting Edge in Calgary, it was an incredible experience as a store owner.
He said, “It was like shopping at Costco. If you see it, you’d better buy it because you might not see it again.”
Bill C-21 which aims to “freeze” the purchase, sale transfer or importation of handguns is still before Parliament, however the Liberals announced on Oct. 21 that the “freeze” had become official through an order in council.
For retailers like Cox, they felt blindsided by the announcement as they were told they would be able to sell handguns until the bill passes. Long order times means stores like his are still receiving the guns they are now not permitted to sell.
When Prime Minister Trudeau announced plans to freeze handguns in May, he called it the “strongest actions we’ve taken on gun violence in a generation.” However, experts say restricting licensed gun owners will do little to reduce crime, as the vast majority of crime guns confiscated by police officers were never legal to sell in Canada in the first place.
Of the 14 firearms posted by the @TPSGunsSeized twitter account in September, only two were legal to own in Canada.
