March 30, 1999
To:Board of Health
From:Dr. Sheela Basrur, Medical Officer of Health
Subject:Support for Effective Gun Control Legislation - The Firearms Act, 1995 (Bill C-68)
Purpose:
To inform the Board of Health of action taken on behalf of the Medical Officer of Health in December 1998 in support of
The Firearms Act, Bill C-68, and to apprise the Board of earlier positions taken by former Boards of Health within Metro
Toronto on the issue of gun control.
Source of Funds:
Not applicable.
Recommendation:
It is recommended that the Board of Health endorse support for the Firearms Act, Bill C-68.
Background:
The Firearms Act (Bill C-68) received Royal Assent on December 5, 1995, requiring the registration of all firearms and the
licencing of all firearms owners. In 1997 the government of Alberta led a constitutional challenge to Bill C-68 to the
Alberta Court of Appeal. This court upheld the federal legislation, however the government of Alberta is currently
appealing this judgement to the Supreme Court of Canada.
At its meeting on December 16, 1998, the City of Toronto's City Council adopted the following motion in order to seek
intervenor status in the constitutional challenge being brought by the Government of Alberta to Canada's new Firearms
Act, Bill C-68:
"Whereas the former City of Toronto has long supported Bill C-68 and;
Whereas the former City of Toronto both obtained intervenor status at the Alberta Court of Appeal in support of Bill C-68
and financially assisted in that appeal and;
Whereas the people of the City of Toronto have strongly supported the intent of Bill C-68;
Now therefore be it resolved that the City of Toronto join with the Coalition for Gun Control and others and seek
intervenor status at the Supreme Court of Canada in the constitutional challenge being brought by the Government of
Alberta to Canada's new gun control legislation".
In accordance with the above Council decision, an affidavit was sworn by Dr. Barbara Yaffe, Director of Communicable
Disease Control and Associate Medical Officer of Health for the City of Toronto on December 18, 1998, in support of the
City of Toronto's motion to seek intervenor status at the Supreme Court of Canada.
Throughout the 1990's, municipal and public health leaders in Metro Toronto supported advocacy efforts for the adoption
of stringent federal gun control legislation. All former City Councils and five Boards of Health in Metro Toronto formally
endorsed the position of the national Coalition for Gun Control which advocates firearms legislation requiring safer storage
of firearms, registration of all firearms and control on the sale of ammunition. Each of these Boards of Health adopted a
motion stating that... "the Board of Health endorse the efforts of the Coalition for Gun Control" on the following dates:
(a)City of York, February 26, 1993
(b)City of North York, February 18, 1993
(c)City of Toronto, March 4, 1993
(d)Borough of East York, September 23, 1993
(e)City of Etobicoke, February 18, 1993
In 1997, the former City of Toronto joined the Coalition for Gun Control and others as an intervenor to defend Bill C-68 in
the government of Alberta's constitutional challenge to the Alberta Court of Appeal. In correspondence to the Medical
Officer of Health, the City Solicitor stated that Toronto's affidavit in the Alberta Court of Appeal was read with interest by
a number of people because they had not considered this as a health issue before.
Comments:
The control of firearms is a public health issue because of the relationship between firearm availability, and suicides,
homicides and accidental injuries. Firearms are dangerous consumer products that need to be subjected to reasonable
control to protect public safety.
(a)1400 Canadians are killed annually by firearms (1120 suicides), and 1000 are wounded.
Canada has the fifth highest rate of firearms death among 0-14 year olds in a sample of 26 industrialized countries.
Firearm-related deaths occur on average at younger ages than death from more common causes (cancer, heart disease) and
result in greater years of potential life lost. These deaths are premature and most are preventable through the regulation,
monitoring and reasonable control of firearms.
(b)Firearm-related suicide is the third leading cause of death for the youth population (15-24 years). Ninety-two percent
of suicide attempts with a gun "succeed" compared to 35% attempted by other means.
(c)In Canada almost half the women killed by their partners are shot and 85% of these assaults are committed with rifle or
shotgun; 78% of the guns used are legally owned.
Conclusions:
Gun control legislation is often discussed from the point of view of violence and crime prevention. The former Boards of
Health in Metro Toronto successfully argued that gun control is also directly connected to the goals of preventing suicides,
domestic homicides, injuries and accidental deaths. The public health sector has played a key role in achieving Canada's
current gun control legislation. It is appropriate that the Toronto Board of Health continue to play this role.
Contact Names:
Connie Clement
Director, Public Health Planning and Policy
Toronto Public Health
Telephone: (416) 392-7463
Fax: (416) 392-0713
Email: cclement@toronto.ca
Barbara Hansen
Health Education Consultant
Toronto Public Health
Telephone: (416) 392-7451
Fax: (416) 392-1483
Email: bhansen@toronto.ca
Dr. Sheela V. Basrur
Medical Officer of Health
