The rise in firearm crimes in Montreal and elsewhere in the country is forcing the federal government to temporarily ban imports of restricted handguns beginning August 19.
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This ban is temporary because the handgun control bill C-21 has not yet passed the Ottawa legislature.
The ban, announced on Friday by Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino and Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly, will remain in effect until Law C-21 is passed.
This announcement follows an investment of nearly $42 million by the federal government, announced the day before, to support projects that raise awareness of gun violence in local and Aboriginal communities.