Canada Essentially Makes Handguns Illegal

New legislation announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday freezes the selling, buying, importing, and transferring of handguns, among other provisions. The regulations should go into effect this fall.

While this announcement seems to be in response to the recent shooting in Uvalde, Trudeau announced plans in 2021 to ban 1,500 styles of firearms and introduce a mandatory buyback program.

In Canada, owning a firearm is a privilege, not a right as it is in the United States. “Other than using firearms for sport shooting and hunting, there is no reason anyone in Canada should need guns in their everyday lives,” Trudeau said. “This is about freedom. People should be free to go to the supermarket, their school, or their place of worship without fear.”

Earlier this year, the Freedom Convoy of truckers faced extreme persecution by the government for protesting Canada’s vaccine mandate. While Trudeau claims this legislation is about “freedom,” many Canadians see it as the opposite.