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Halifax Regional Council voted in favour of starting a program next week that provides participants with bus tickets in exchange for guns in an effort to reduce the number of guns on Halifax streets.

The Fares for Firearms Gun Amnesty Campaign was proposed by municipal staff following meetings with politicians, organizations and the public about several fatal shootings in the municipality this year.

“They can give in a gun, but you know they can also get another one,” said Quentrel Provo, the founder of Stop the Violence (Spread the Love).

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He has organized several events this year in response to the deaths.

Provo said he was critical of the program because while it’s important to get rid illegal guns (and the like), he doubted many would use it.

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He also said it’s important to support those in trouble get their lives on track, which could be helped through a program that provides education or jobs, as examples, in exchange for guns.

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Carlos Beals, a senior outreach worker for CeaseFire Halifax, an organization focused on eliminating violence, said he, too, didn’t think many would use the program but saw its merit.

“A lot of people are like, ‘This is a waste of time, this is not going to work,'” he said. “It’s a step definitely in the right direction. I’m happy that the discussion is being held. I see the importance there.”

Initially, an unnamed retailer was in talks to sponsor the program, according to the staff report [PDF] on the matter. When that fell through, Halifax Transit agreed to provide an estimated (up to) $5,000 worth of transit tickets.

The program wraps up on September 23. More information can be found on the municipality’s website.