In June 2023, the Governor General proclaimed the first Friday of June as “The National Day Against Gun Violence” in Canada because gun violence causes devastating impacts to victims, families and our community. This day brings awareness to the issue, the causes and effects of gun violence, as well as prevention, healing and creating a path towards peace.
Since 2024, the City of Toronto has been hosting an annual ceremony to commemorate the National Day Against Gun Violence to remember and mourn victims of gun violence and to look forward with a theme of healing and peace.
TO Wards Peace aims to increase effective interventions to mitigate violence in Toronto using a risk-driven, multi-sectoral model that is driven by a community-centric, public health approach. The program focuses on bringing community groups, local grassroots organizations, community health centres, hospitals and the City of Toronto together to advance actions for the interruption, intervention and prevention of gun violence in the city and create pathways to healing.
The Mayor’s Community Safety Awards celebrate innovative projects that help build safe communities and that reduce violence. Award recipients are honoured during an in-person ceremony at City Hall. Recipients receive a commemorative scroll and a $1,500 award to support their innovative approaches to addressing safety within their local communities.
The Mayor’s Community Safety Awards is a longstanding partnership between the City of Toronto and Toronto Police Service.
The City is taking a bold and different approach to advance community safety with the SafeTO 10-Year Community Safety & Well-Being Plan, working collaboratively across sectors, communities and governments.
Learn more about TO Wards Peace and how it will help Toronto become a trauma-informed city by contributing to the advancement of action 2.1 of the SafeTO Plan. This action focuses on the collaborative efforts between community groups, local grassroots organizations, community health centres, hospitals and the City of Toronto to advance actions for the interruption, intervention and prevention of gun violence in the city.
June 6, 2025
WHEREAS today we bring awareness to the issue of gun violence, honour and remember the victims of gun violence in our city and country and recognize the devasting impacts on victims’ families and communities.
The trauma of gun violence on individuals and communities can contribute to negative long-term health outcomes and become a contributing factor in the tendency to commit violence. It is our collective responsibility to do everything we can to prevent these tragic outcomes.
The National Day Against Gun Violence is also an opportunity to renew our commitment to continue to work together on solutions that make our city a safer place for everyone, free of gun violence, while building a city that promotes and celebrates the well-being and resilience of us all.
The City of Toronto continues to advance community safety and well-being through SafeTO, the City’s Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan, by working collaboratively across sectors, communities and other levels government to build a safer Toronto for all, using a trauma-informed, public health approach.
The City of Toronto will leverage its role as a system leader, service provider and strategic funder to help transform the City’s gun violence prevention and intervention approaches and ensure system resources are intentional, practical and focused on gun violence reduction.
NOW THEREFORE, I, Mayor Olivia Chow, on behalf of Toronto City Council, do hereby proclaim
June 6, 2025 as “National Day Against Gun Violence” in the City of Toronto.