DURHAM

The Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction came to Durham Sunday to discuss firearms and his review of a possible ban on handguns and assault-style weapons, other than those used lawfully.

Bill Blair, a former Toronto police chief, was given responsibility for this review by Prime Minister Justice Trudeau to reduce gun crime, over and above measures in Bill C-71, which was passed by the Commons and is now in the Senate.

Conservative Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MP Larry Miller has denounced the Liberal government’s Bill C-71, saying measures in the bill are a back-door way for Ottawa to create another firearms registry, while doing little to tackle illegal firearms and gang violence.

Miller requested Blair to come to the riding to hear concerns from his constituents.

Before speaking at the Durham community centre, Blair visited the Owen Sound Revolver Club and he spoke with reporters in a Durham coffee shop.

Blair told reporters C-71 would make it more difficult for criminals to get guns and would require retailers who sell firearms to “keep appropriate records that they maintain. This isn’t a government registry of these things.”

If police need those records, they’d apply for a warrant to get them, Blair said.

“Can I be really clear? The government has been unequivocal. I have been unequivocal. We are not bringing back the registry.”

C-71 revamps background checks and puts new restrictions on transporting firearms too.

Blair said his separate handgun and assault-style weapon ban review is based on concerns voiced largely in bigger, urban centres, about an increase in gun violence. Mayors in Vancouver, Surrey, Montreal and Toronto have called for a handgun ban.

“Even in rural communities and remote communities, (people) are concerned with what we have seen is an increase in gun violence in many parts of the country, not just in large urban centres.”

Blair and his parliamentary secretary, Peter Schiefke, have been consulting experts and stakeholders across Canada.

He discussed in the interview some of the ideas he’s pursuing but added we won’t see legislation to implement them anytime soon.

His report about these consultations should be available early this year. He’ll report what he learned back to the prime minister, he said.

“We don’t have time, quite frankly, to put forward necessarily, comprehensive new legislation. But I think it’s an important discussion that takes place among Canadians.”

The time crunch likely relates to the Oct. 21 federal election.

The review is being “conducted in a way which was respectful of lawful firearm owners,” Blair said. The “overwhelming majority of firearm owners are exceptionally responsible in their ownership,” he said.

Blair said he’s hearing in rural areas about concerns related to access to guns where domestic violence, and ill or depressed people who may harm themselves or others are involved.

Over and above measures in C-71, he’s looking at making it more difficult for those who buy guns legally to then sell them illegally.

He’s also looking at requiring “secure” storage, not just “safe” storage, which he said lawful gun owners “overwhelmingly” support. The idea is to make guns harder to steal from homes or shops, he said.

Another measure would look at people with licences to possess weapons whose circumstances change to the point that that licence could be suspended. “And not to revoke but to suspend, make it safe until we figure it out.”

Such circumstances could include someone in an “intimate partner dispute or a bad neighbour dispute,” or you may be “suffering from depression or an illness that causes you to be a risk to yourself or others,” he said.

Another example he offered is where a person with a gun licence would no longer be granted one if applied for today.

“We want to be able to suspend it until it can be determined that you should still have it. Exactly what they do with driver’s licences,” Blair said.

Government background information on Blair’s consultations also contains gun facts, at https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/cnslttns/hndgn/index-en.aspx.

It says about 900,000 handguns are registered to individuals in Canada. Most of them own handguns either for sport shooting or as part of a collection.

All restricted and prohibited handguns in Canada are required to be registered with the Registrar of Firearms. This is distinct from non-restricted firearms; there is no longer a national registry of non-restricted firearms in Canada.

Most ordinary hunting rifles and shotguns, also known as long guns, are non-restricted.

Handguns and certain semi-automatics are restricted. People may own non-restricted and restricted firearms with a licence and safety course completed, as well as certain checks.

Very few may own small, easily concealed, and prescribed handguns and fully automatics are known as prohibited weapons.