“Today, on the National Day Against Gun Violence, we mourn the lives that have been taken by gun violence, and we stand with all those whose lives have been changed irreversibly by its horrific tragedies.

The Government of Canada has acted swiftly and decisively to combat gun crime. Within weeks of forming government, we introduced the strongest legislation in Canadian history to secure our border and crack down on gun trafficking. We have removed prohibited assault-style firearms from communities across Canada through the Assault Style Firearms Compensation Program, and we have strengthened the Criminal Code of Canada and firearms regulations to ensure violent criminals and repeat offenders are kept off our streets. These reforms include advancing licence revocation for those convicted of an offence involving intimate partner or family violence, and ‘red flag’ laws that enable quick removal of firearms from individuals who pose a risk to themselves or others.

In parallel, we are hiring 1,000 new Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers and 1,000 new Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) personnel across Canada. Last year alone, the CBSA seized more than 830 firearms. These additional frontline personnel will strengthen our ability to intercept illegal firearms, disrupt organised crime networks, and prevent dangerous weapons from reaching our communities.

On this day, we honour those impacted by gun violence not only through remembrance, but through substantive action. Our government is steadfast in our commitment to build a safer, more secure Canada for all.”