Vancouver – Harjit S. Sajjan, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada, and His Worship Ken Sim, Mayor of Vancouver, announced a federal investment of more than $4.2 million to prevent gun crime and gang violence in Vancouver.
This investment will help address the root causes of crime by supporting community-led projects for young people involved in gangs or at risk of joining them – helping them set themselves up for success in life. Investing in crime prevention is part of the Government of Canada’s plan to keep Canadians safe.
We are also securing our borders and fighting gun smuggling. To that end, we have invested nearly a half billion dollars and further strengthened our cooperation with the United States. As well, we banned over 1,500 models of assault-style firearms and implemented a freeze on the sale, purchase and transfer of handguns. The Government of Canada will continue to put in place robust measures to keep Canadians safe.
“Preventing young people from getting into gangs is a personal focus for me and a priority for our government. That is why we are partnering with the City of Vancouver on community-led projects that will help give youth purpose and the life skills for success. Keeping everyone in our great city safe is our top priority – and that starts with dealing with the root causes of gun and gang violence.” – Harjit S. Sajjan, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness