Bill C-21 would also allow proactive sharing of some firearms licensing and registration data between the RCMP and local law enforcement agencies for the purpose of investigating or prosecuting firearms trafficking offences. (CFJC Today file photo)

By Dylana Kneeshaw

bill c-21

Federal firearms legislation would allow Kamloops and other cities to ban handguns

Feb 16, 2021 | 4:41 PM

KAMLOOPS — The federal government’s newly tabled legislation to allow municipalities to ban handguns through bylaw services is being met with mixed reviews.

Under Bill C-21, city bylaws could restrict handgun possession, storage, and transportation.

Kamloops Mayor Ken Christian says the proposed legislation is a step in the right direction to keep handguns out of the wrong hands, but enforcement shouldn’t come from ‘a patchwork of local bylaws.’

“I think you have to have a discussion with the legitimate gun owners. People that are involved in target shooting and those kinds of things. We find here that most of the handguns that we see and seize have been stolen,” he says. “So it’s about control of those kinds of weapons and security of those kinds of weapons. But by in large it’s a progressive move, I see it, on the part of the Prime Minister.”

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Bill C-21 also aims to reduce partner and gender-based violence, and self-harm involving firearms by creating “red flag” and “yellow flag” laws. These would allow concerned friends or relatives to apply to the courts to have someone’s firearms removed or suspend a license to own firearms.

The legislation builds on the proposed buyback of recently banned firearms that were labelled as assault-style weapons and introduces stricter restrictions on importing ammunition.

Last May the federal government prohibited more than 1,500 models of assault-style firearms. An amnesty period is in effect until April 30, 2022 which applies to people who were in lawful possession of a newly banned firearm when the prohibition came into effect. The grace period is designed to protect owners from criminal liability while those individuals take steps to comply with the new laws.

Leading up to today’s announcement, Christian says the federal government engaged with civic governments about assault-style weapons, but the additional provision around municipalities banning handguns was news to him.

The Mayor says the details around bylaw implementation aren’t clear, but it’s likely not going to cost much.

“You don’t want to get bylaws in place that are just unenforceable so you would have to look at what kind of mechanisms that they would have,” he explains. “I think things like point of sale for hand guns would be the logical place to start.”

With ongoing economic struggles and delays in vaccine shipments, Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo MP Cathy McLeod feels the timing of the legislation was not ideal.

“They (the federal government) should be focusing on the economy, the budget, jobs, vaccine roll-out, and instead I think they’re trying to distract.”

Given the amount of guns used in violent crimes that have been brought in from the United States, McLeod says enforcement should be federal jurisdiction.

“Let’s catch these things at the border, let’s make sure that as I say, law abiding sports shooters are not the target – it is the criminal, it is the gangs,” she says. “And quite frankly I have no trouble with serious sentences for serious crimes – especially gun crimes. So we need to look at the criminal justice system, we need to stop the entry into the system, instead of just doing blanket bans that target sport.”

To read more details about the new legislation and what it means, click here to read the Federal Government’s announcement.