(Ottawa) As the gun control debate rages again in Quebec, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has intercepted almost as many prohibited firearms in three months as it has in all of Quebec. year 2020-2021, show recent data obtained by Press.
For example, in the first quarter of 2021-2022 (April to June), the CBSA seized 509 firearms from various border checkpoints. During the year 2020-2021, which was marked by the closure of the border between Canada and the United States, except in the case of essential travel, the Agency had acquired 548 weapons that were intended for the territory Canadian.
In the previous year, the period before the pandemic (2019-2020), the CBSA seized 753 firearms and 693 others in 2018-2019.
At the CBSA, we do not want to come forward to say whether this increase observed in the first quarter is a strong trend resulting from the new measures implemented in recent months.
This increase could also be explained by the decision of the Trudeau government to ban more than 1,500 makes and models of military-type assault weapons in May 2020.
“Several factors can have an impact on the number of foreclosures from year to year. The CBSA does not comment on trends or sources. On the other hand, the CBSA is constantly finding new ways to increase border security while facilitating the flow of legitimate travelers entering or leaving Canada, ”the CBSA said.
Towards a summit this year?
The fact remains that the results of this year, which ends on March 31, 2022, could very well lead to a peak. Last week, the CBSA announced one of the largest firearms seizures in recent history in the southern Ontario region, after it intercepted 56 prohibited firearms and the arrest of Vivian Richards, originally from Oakland Park, Florida.
IMAGE FROM CANADA BORDER SERVICES AGENCY TWITTER ACCOUNT, SOUTHERN ONTARIO
CBSA seizure at the Blue Water Bridge in Point Edward, Ontario
The seizure occurred on 1er November when officers decided to conduct a further examination of a vehicle at the Blue Water Bridge in Point Edward, Ontario. During the examination, CBSA officers discovered 56 undeclared prohibited firearms, 13 overcapacity magazines, 43 10-round pistol magazines and 100 ammunition in boxes that were in the trunk of the car. . All of these items have been seized.
The CBSA on its guard
In recent months, the CBSA has been stepping up initiatives to detect and seize firearms that smugglers are trying to bring into Canadian territory. These firearms – handguns, revolvers, semi-automatic pistols, automatic rifles, among others – are destined for the black market.
Detector dog teams have been deployed to strategic border crossings. Ultra-sophisticated portable x-ray machines have also appeared in various places. And the CBSA has opened channels of communication with US and international allies that allow for useful information sharing, including with the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
“As smugglers use increasingly sophisticated concealment methods in their smuggling attempts, the CBSA is using a number of tools and techniques to stem the flow of illegal and prohibited materials into Canada,” said Judith Gadbois -St-Cyr, CBSA spokesperson, in an email to Press.
Among other things, the CBSA deployed portable x-ray machines, large-scale imaging systems, and received 14 mobile examination vehicles to more efficiently examine conveyances and shipments.
In addition, five additional detector dog teams specializing in drug and firearm detection have been trained and are now active at strategic entry points.
The CBSA, which has also designed specialized training to strengthen the training of officers on vehicle searches, intends to open shortly in Rigaud a Canine Expertise Center, where other detector dogs will be trained in order to strengthen the detection capability in border operations.
Scourge of gun violence
These efforts are being made as the gun control debate is once again gaining momentum in Quebec following the tragic deaths of two teenagers who were shot in the Montreal area because they were in in the wrong place at the wrong time.
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
Valérie Plante, Mayor of Montreal, and François Legault, Premier of Quebec, in a press conference, Monday
The political debate opposes Quebec and Ottawa, the Legault government accusing the Liberals of Justin Trudeau of being weak in the control of handguns. The mayoress of Montreal, Valérie Plante, also protests to see the federal government insisting on wanting to cede the power to ban these weapons to the provinces. Aware that this public safety issue risks having political consequences, the Trudeau government pledged, in its Speech from the Throne presented on Tuesday, to tackle the scourge of gun violence.
“Gun violence is on the rise in several major cities. While we invest in prevention and support the work of law enforcement, we must also continue to strengthen gun control. The government has taken important steps such as a lifetime background check, ”the Speech from the Throne said.
“The government will now introduce measures such as the compulsory buy-back of already banned assault weapons and will move forward with the provinces and territories that want to ban handguns,” it adds in the same passage.
Within the Liberal ranks in Ottawa, it is privately recognized that gun control has become a big thorn in their side. They also expect criticism of the Legault government to become more and more bitter on this issue as we get closer to the provincial elections in Quebec. But their replica is ready. They intend to remind François Legault that during the last federal campaign he supported Erin O’Toole’s Conservative Party, which opposes more restrictive gun control laws.