Ottawa Announces Temporary Handgun Import Ban, Permanent Freeze Coming

Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly speaks alongside the minister of Public Safety, Marco Mendicino, during a press conference announcing new gun control laws, in Toronto, Friday, Aug. 5, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston

The federal government will temporarily ban import of handguns into Canada starting on Aug. 19, says Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino.

At a press conference in Toronto on Aug. 5, Mendicino said the temporary ban will stop “nearly all individuals and businesses in Canada” from importing handguns.