A federal ban on a range of assault-style guns was announced today by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The cabinet order Trudeau presented doesn’t forbid ownership of the “military-style” weapons, but does prohibit their trading.
The order takes effect immediately, and provides current gun owners to have a two-year amnesty period. A compensation program has been discussed, but requires a bill to be passed in Parliament.
The Prime Minister explains the ban is a response to several mass shootings that have happened in Canada, from the 1989 killings at Ecole Polytechnique, to the mass shooting last week in Nova Scotia.
Guns that are not designed for sport shooting have been growing in the Canadian market, according to Public Safety Minister Bill Blair.
The Liberal’s election platform last fall promised stricter gun control measures.
