North Vancouver, British Columbia
People in North Vancouver and across Canada deserve to feel safe in their communities.
That's why the Government of Canada is taking action with a comprehensive plan that gets guns off our streets and puts more resources into our communities. An important element of this work is stopping violence before it starts, which is why the Government launched the $250 million Building Safer Communities Fund (BSCF). First announced in March 2022, the BSCF supports local initiatives that prevent gun and gang violence and help young people make good choices.
Today, Terry Beech, Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for Burnaby North-Seymour, on behalf of the Honourable Marco Mendicino, Minister of Public Safety, announced that the District of North Vancouver will receive up to $1.779 million from the BSCF to prevent gun crime and gang violence in the District. This funding will help address the underlying conditions that give rise to crime. It will support community-led projects to prevent violence among young people who are involved in gangs, or at risk of joining them - helping them set themselves up for success in life.
No single program or initiative can tackle the challenge of gun crime on its own. That is why the BSCF is one of many elements in the Government's plan to keep Canadians safe.
Our work begins at Canada's borders, where we've added resources to fight smuggling and stop guns from coming into the country. The Government banned assault-style firearms like the AR-15 two years ago and will soon begin a buyback program to get these guns out of our communities. Last October, a national freeze on handguns was implemented through amendments to regulations under the Firearms Act. Finally, we recently introduced Bill C-21 - Canada's most significant action on gun violence in a generation. This landmark legislation proposes significant provisions to combat organized crime and address the alarming role of guns in domestic violence.
