Article content

A handgun ban is still under consideration as the federal government looks for ways to curb the rise in gun violence, federal Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction Minister Bill Blair says.

Blair held a joint media conference with Mayor John Tory in Toronto Thursday to announce $400,000 for neighbourhood policing and $6.8 million over five years for youth gang prevention programs.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Handgun ban still on table as feds give Toronto $7M to fight violence Back to video

Tory and other city mayors have asked the federal government for a handgun ban — in Toronto’s case, at least within the city limits — and Blair said that option is still on the table.

The only legal reason to possess a handgun in Canada is for sport shooting, not for personal safety, the minister said.

“I am looking at whatever measure will be effective in keeping those guns out of the hands of criminals,” he said. “And that can include up to a handgun ban.”