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Government taking action on gun crime in Winnipeg with up to $4.5 million for prevention programs

May 19, 2023, Winnipeg, Man. – The Government of Canada is taking action with a comprehensive plan that gets guns off the streets and puts more resources into communities. An important element of this work is stopping violence before it starts, which is why the government launched the $250 million Building Safer Communities Fund (BSCF). First announced in March 2022, the BSCF supports local initiatives that prevent gun and gang violence and help young people make good choices.

The Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs and Minister responsible for PrairiesCan and CanNor, on behalf of the Honourable Marco Mendicino, Minister of Public Safety, has announced that the City of Winnipeg will receive up to $4.5 million from the BSCF to prevent gun crime and gang violence in the region. This funding will help address the underlying conditions that give rise to crime. The municipality will distribute it to community-led projects for young people involved in gangs or at risk of joining them – helping them set themselves up for success in life.

No single program or initiative can tackle the challenge of gun crime on its own. The BSCF is one of many elements in the Government’s plan to keep Canadians safe.

This begins with strong borders, where the government has invested nearly a half billion dollars over the past two years and deepened cooperation with the United States to fight gun smuggling.

It includes strong legislative and regulatory action. Three years ago, the Government banned over 1,500 models of assault-style firearms and last year implemented a freeze on the sale, purchase and transfer of handguns. These are central elements of Bill C-21, Canada’s most significant action on gun violence in a generation – which also proposes significant provisions to combat organized crime and address the alarming role of guns in domestic violence.

Finally, it includes strong prevention strategies, like this announcement, to stop gun violence before it starts.