VANCOUVER—As Nova Scotia grieves after a mass shooting in the province on the weekend, groups representing doctors and victims of gun violence have penned a letter to federal Public Safety Minister Bill Blair asking Ottawa to immediately ban military-style assault weapons.

The letter, written on behalf of Canadian Doctors for Protection From Guns, PolySeSouvient, the Coalition for Gun Control and Danforth Families for Safe Communities raises concerns about those at heightened risk of violence under physical distancing measures.

“You have the power (to) take an evidence-based measure right now that will save lives,” reads the letter. “Sadly, we cannot reverse past tragedies, nor prevent all future tragedies, but we can do much more to reduce the risk.”

On Saturday, 19 people plus the gunman died in a mass shooting spanning almost 100 kilometres after originating in Portapique, about 130 kms north of Halifax, and ending in Enfield, N.S.

The group said it initially planned to write a letter expressing concern about the spike in gun and ammunition sales during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic but switched focus to this shooting.

“There’s been an explosion of sales in ammunition and guns,” said Dr. Philip Berger, a co-founder of Canadian Doctors for Protection From Guns. “Why would we want more guns in society during a pandemic? It’s not a good idea.”

At a time when Canadians are staying in their houses those in homes with guns are more at risk of homicides, suicides and accidental death, Berger said.

He said the federal government should move quickly to ban sales of military-style assault weapons so it can focus on fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

The letter also accuses gun lobby groups of encouraging people to buy firearms during the pandemic on “both sides” of the border.

“It’s the kind of reckless promotion of guns by largely the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights that makes it impossible for Blair to not act now,” Berger said.

But Rod Giltaca of the coalition said his group has not been telling people to buy more guns due to the pandemic. Giltaca said the accusation lumps his organization in with the National Rifle Association in the United States, a group with which it has no affiliation or co-operation.

The coalition responded to the letter Monday morning, accusing the four groups that wrote it of “leveraging” the tragedy in Nova Scotia.

“No law in this country could have stopped a madman with this level of determination and resources,” read a statement from the gun rights group. “There will be time to debate the details of this event when we know more. Policy decisions affecting all Canadians must be made calmly and rationally.”

Blair himself said Ottawa still intends to table laws restricting firearms, including so called “red-flag” legislation meant to prevent access to firearms for people who may be dangerous.

But Blair could not give a timeline for instituting such regulations due to the pandemic and reduced sittings of Parliament.

“What we have previously indicated is our intention to strengthen gun control legislation,” Blair told reporters Monday. “We intend to bring forward both regulation and legislation that will enable us to prohibit military-style assault weapons.”

Blair said any legislation will be “evidence- based” and that the RCMP need time to investigate Saturday’s shooting.

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Despite the grief in Nova Scotia and the ongoing pandemic, the federal government should work quickly to pass such legislation, Berger said.

“I’d rather him act than respond,” he said of Blair. “That’d be the best response, if he took action on this now.”

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