| -Caveat Lector-
CANADA
OVERVIEW (1)
Population: 31.2 million (July 2000 estimate)
Economy:
Purchasing power parity--$722.3 billion (1999 estimate)
Purchasing power parity per capita--$23, 300 (1999 estimate)
Governance: Confederation with parliamentary democracy; 10 provinces,
3 territories
FIREARMS OWNERSHIP (2)
Percentage of Households with Firearms: 26%
Estimated Number of Firearms: 6.2 million
Types of Firearms: Approximately 5 million rifles and shotguns; 1.2 million
restricted weapons including handguns and military assault rifles.
Purposes of Lawful Firearms Ownership: Firearms ownership in Canada has
a long-standing tradition. Aboriginal peoples have constitutional rights to
hunt. Hunting, pest control, target-shooting and collecting are well established
in Canada. Arming for self protection is constrained - in order to carry a handgun
for self protection individuals must either require a firearm for their livelihood
(police, security etc.) or be able to prove their life is in danger and that
police can not protect them. Only about 50 individuals have permits to be armed
for self-protection.
Analysis: There are significant fluctuations in the percentages of firearms
ownership in Canada. Roughly 14% of households in Ontario own firearms, compared
to 76% in the Yukon.
FIREARMS DEATH, INJURY AND CRIME
|
|
Total
|
Rate per 100,000
|
Number with Firearms
|
Rate per 100,000 with Firearms
|
% with Firearms
|
Year
|
|
Homicide (2)
|
536
|
1.76
|
165
|
0.54
|
30.8%
|
1999
|
|
Firearm Death by Suicide (2)
|
3,681
|
12.3
|
815
|
2.7
|
22%
|
1997
|
|
Firearm Death by Accident (2)
|
|
|
45
|
0.1
|
|
1997
|
|
Total Firearm Deaths (2)
|
|
|
1, 037
|
3.5
|
|
1997
|
|
Hospitalizations (all firearm-related causes) (2)
|
|
|
753
|
2.5
|
|
1997/8
|
|
Robbery (2)
|
27,012
|
90.1
|
4,322
|
14.1
|
16%
|
2000
|
Major Incidents:
- Montreal massacre - December 6, 1989, a man
with a Ruger Mini 14 and large capacity magazine shot 28 students and teachers,
killing 14 young women at the University of Montreal's Ecole polytechnique.
The tragedy served as a catalyst for public mobilization calling on government
to enact tougher firearms control.
- Yeo inquest - The 1992 inquest into the murder
of Nina de Villiers of Burlington and Karen Marquis of New Brunswick by a
man on bail for violence offences with his legally held rifle recommended
the registration of all guns in Ontario.
- Concordia University shootings - In August,
1992 a disgruntled University Professor shot and killed four other academics.
The shooter had obtained three of his handguns through his wife. The incident
raised questions about the process for acquiring restricted weapons' permits.
- Vernon massacre and inquest - The coroner�s
inquest into the Vernon massacre in which a gun club member killed his estranged
spouse and 8 members of her family was held in 1996 and reaffirmed the importance
of registering all firearms and licensing gun owners. It also called for notification
of spouses and ex-spouses before firearm permits are approved.
- Kassonde inquest - In 1997, the inquest into
the murder of the two Kassonde children by their father with a legally acquired
rifle in Ottawa recommended, among other measures, that the Department of
Justice's firearms registry be implemented as soon as possible.
- Smith inquest - The 1997 inquest into the murder
of Ottawa sportscaster Brian Smith by a man with a history of mental illness
and a legal rifle recommended the strengthening of licensing provisions.
- Arlene May inquest - The 1998 inquest which
looked into the murder of Arlene May, who was shot and killed by a former
lover with a legally acquired rifle recommended that the federal government
proceed with its gun control licensing system as soon as possible.
- OC Transpo inquest - The 1999 inquest into
the Ottawa�s OC Transpo incident made several recommendations regarding federal
firearms legislation and once again confirmed the importance of licensing
and registration.
Analysis:
-In an average year in Canada there are: 981 firearms suicides,
accounting for 26% of total suicides; 204 firearms homicides, accounting for
32% of total homicides; 52 firearms accidental deaths and another 16 shooting
deaths which are classified as undetermined or legal interventions. (2)
-A downward trend in firearm deaths has been evident since 1978. (2)
-There are roughly 200 domestic murders each year (average 1979-89), of which
35% involve firearms. (3)
-An average of 40% of the women killed by their husbands are shot and approximately
50% of domestic murders committed with guns are accompanied by a suicide.
(4)
-Firearms suicides are the third leading cause of death among young people
aged 15-24 in Canada, surpassed only by motor vehicle accidents and suicides
by other means. (5)
-Each year there are approximately 1,000 reported hospitalizations for firearms
injuries. (2)
-One current estimate places the economic burden of firearms injury and death
in Canada at $6.6 billion dollars per year. (6)
-Canada was rated 5th among industrialized nations in the rate of children
under 14 killed with firearms, following the United States, Finland, Northern
Ireland and Israel. (9)
TYPES/SOURCES OF FIREARMS WHICH ARE MISUSED
Types of Firearms:
-Approximately half of homicides are committed with handguns although there
are distinct regional variations.
-Most domestic violence homicides involve long guns (rifles and shotguns). (4)
-Most suicides are committed with long guns (rifles and shotguns). (20) (21)
Legally Held: A new study commissioned by the Department of Justice estimates
the number of firearm owners in Canada at 2.46 million. According to polling
information, there is an estimated 6 million firearms in the country.
Firearms Theft: Annually, approximately 3 000 firearms are reported lost,
stolen or missing.
Analysis: The Firearms Smuggling Work Group conducted the largest empirical
study ever undertaken of the source of 8879 guns recovered by 10 police forces.
The study confirmed that the smuggling of handguns was a problem, particularly
in larger cities. (11) But the majority of the firearms recovered in crime were
rifles and shotguns. Overall, of the firearms recovered in crime:
-47%, almost half, were rifles and shotguns
-1% were handguns and, of these, 40% had been previously registered, an estimated
60% were illegally imported.
-4% were prohibited weapons, many of them rifles and shotguns which had been
sawed off 28% were airguns, replica firearms etc.
-In most communities the proportion of rifles and shotguns used in crime exceeded
the proportion of handguns.
-In larger cities - Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver - the proportion of traceable
handguns which had previously been registered was much smaller. (11)
-Rifles and shotguns are also the most frequently used firearms in suicides.
(2)
Illegal Markets:
The illegal trade is difficult to measure. Guns enter illegal markets through
smuggling, theft from persons and institutions and licensed dealers selling
firearms illegally. Empirical evidence on firearms recovered in crime indicates
that the majority of smuggled firearms are American in origin. Although rifles
and shotguns cannot be easily traced, there is little evidence that rifles and
shotguns are smuggled into Canada - 75% of the guns seized at the border are
handguns. (2) Of firearms recovered in crime 21% were handguns and, of these,
40% had been previously registered, an estimated 60% were illegally imported.
DOMESTIC FIREARM LEGISLATION
Prohibited Firearms: Fully automatic military assault weapons,
semi-automatics which can be converted to automatics, along with a few other
selected models not suitable for hunting or target shooting, short-barreled
handguns, sawed-off shotguns and large capacity magazines.
Licensing Requirements: Under the Firearms Act, as of January
1, 2001, all firearm owners require a license to possess or acquire a firearm
(renewable every five years). Standard safety checks are performed to
ensure that the individual does not pose a risk to public safety. Under current
regulations, spouses and previous spouses with whom the applicant has lived
within the last two years are also notified of the individuals' application.
Registration Requirements: Under the new Firearms Act, all firearms
will be registered (by the year 2003). New firearms will be registered at their
point of sale and imported firearms will be registered at their point of entry.
Storage Requirements: Firearms must be stored unloaded, with the ammunition
separate. For handguns and other restricted weapons, the firearms must be stored
unloaded in a locked container and made inoperable (trigger lock), with the
ammunition stored separately.
Training Requirements: All license applicants must take the Canadian
Firearms Safety Course and/or pass the test for the course, or show by some
other approved means that they know about firearms laws and safety practices.
Penalties:
-Mandatory 4 year sentence for serious offences with a firearm
-Mandatory 1 year sentence for possession of a stolen weapon
-Criminal sanctions for non-compliance with license or registration; however,
a first-time offence is punishable by summary conviction with up to a $2000.00
fine and 6 months in jail. Law enforcement has discretionary powers in enforcing
the law, depending on the motive
MANUFACTURE, IMPORT AND EXPORT
Canada is not a major producer of firearms or small arms for military or
domestic markets. Last year, Canada imported 44,941 non-military firearms and
exported 104,285. (22) Diemaco is Canada�s primary exporter of military-use
small arms. Para-Ordnance Manufacturing Inc. is Canada�s premier supplier of
handguns for export and domestic use. (23) Ministerial approval is required
for all exports of small arms of military specifications. The trade in firearms
is significant, however, and Canada is a major trans-shipment point.
Canada is a signatory to both the Organization of American States Convention
Inter-American Convention Against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking
in Firearms and the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized
Crime. Canada will not ratify the OAS until 2003.
ATTITUDES
Polls have consistently shown that the vast majority of Canadians support
firearms regulation. According to the latest poll, 70% of Canadians support
the new legislation. (17)
REFERENCES
(1) CIA World Factbook (http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ca.html)
(2) Department of Justice, Firearms Statistics, Research and Statistics Section,
1999; Crime Statistics in Canada 2000, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics,
Statistics Canada � Catalogue no. 85-002-XIE Vol. 21 no. 8
(3) Department of Justice, Distribution of Solved Homicide Offences by Suspect
- Victim Relationship and Method Used, 1979 - 1989. Centre for Justice Statistics.
(4) Dansys Consultants, �Domestic Homicides Involving the Use of Firearms,�
Department of Justice, March, 1992.
(5) Katherine Leonard, "Firearms Deaths in Canadian Adolescents and Young Adults,"
Canadian Journal of Public Health, March - April 1994, Volume 85, No.
2.
(6) Ted Miller, "Costs Associated with Gunshot Wounds in Canada in 1991," Canadian
Medical Association Journal, November 1, 1995; 153 (9).
(7) Transport Canada, Road Safety Annual Report, T.P. 455, 1993.
(8) T. Miller and M. Cohen, "Costs of Gunshot and Cut/Stab Wounds in the United
States, with some Canadian Comparisons," Accid Anal Prev 1997; 29 (3):
329-41.
(9) Center for Disease Control, "Rates of Homicide, Suicide and Firearm-Related
Death Among Children in 26 Industrialized Countries," Morbidity and Mortality
Weekly Report, vol. 46, n� 5.
(10) Canadian Firearms Centre, "Making a Difference: The Firearms Act," January
20, 2001, available at http://www.cfc.gc.ca/general_public/difference/Default.html
(11) Department of Justice, �The Illegal Movement of Firearms in Canada,� Report
of the Firearms Smuggling Work Group, May 1995.
(12) Kim Don, �Firearms Occurrences Investigated by the Edmonton Police Service,
July 1 - December 31, 1993,� Edmonton Police Department, January 1995.
(13) Media Release: "Project Pinball; Firearms Investigation. "Robert Montrose,
Metro Police, Provincial Weapons Enforcement Unit. Wednesday, December 11, 1996.
(14) R.C.M.P. Testimony as documented in "Evidence: Standing Committee on Justice
and Legal Affairs," Meeting No. 110, Tuesday, April 25, 1995.
(15) R.C.M.P. Annual Firearms Report to the Solicitor General of Canada.
(16) Reference re Firearms Act (Can.) Available at: http://www.lexum.umontreal.ca/csc-scc/en/pub/2000/vol1/html/2000scr1_0783.html
(17) Gallup Canada Inc., "Seven out of Ten Canadians Support National Firearms
Registry." Vol.60(79). November 10, 2000. (18) A. Chapdelaine and P. Maurice,
�Firearms injury prevention and gun control in Canada,� Special Article, Canadian
Medical Association Journal 1996;155:1285-1289.
(19) W endy Cukier, �Firearm Regulation: Canada in the International
Context,� Chronic Diseases in Canada, April 1998.
(20) Peter J. Carrington and Sharon Moyer, "Gun Availability and Suicide
in Canada: Testing the Displacement Hypothesis," Studies on Crime and
Crime Prevention, 1994 (3), p. 168-178.
(21) Peter J. Carrington and Sharon Moyer, "Gun Availability and Firearms
Suicide," Department of Justice, 1992.
(22) Kwing Hung, Research and Statistics Division, Department of Justice, Canada,
June 2001.
(23) Norwegian Institute on Small Arms Transfers, www.nisat.org
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