City Councillor and Liberal candidate discuss gun control in Calgary
Posted Oct 3, 2019 7:35 am.
Last Updated Oct 3, 2019 3:43 pm.
CALGARY (660 NEWS) – Gun control has become a big topic in this election and the conversation now turns to Calgary.
Liberal MLA Kent Hehr and City Councillor George Chahal met Thursday morning to discuss the issue at City Hall.
Chahal, who represents Ward 5 in the northeast, said he’s seen a rise in gun crimes in many neighbourhoods.
“We need to be proactive and not reactive to ensure the next generation of teenagers in Junior High Schools and High Schools understand the destructive nature of drugs, crime and violence.”
"We need to be proactive and not reactive," @ChahalGeorge says. He adds, gun manufacturers and retailers need to be held responsible. He says we need to teach kids about crime, drugs, and violence, and deter then from going down those paths #yyc #cdnpoli @660NEWS @BTCityNewsCGY pic.twitter.com/bpXD0JWxfQ
— Saif Kaisar (@StaySaif) October 3, 2019
For Hehr, the issue of gun control is personal after he was shot and paralyzed in a drive-by shooting in 1991.
“There is no doubt that handgun violence, not only in this city but across this country is on the rise.”
Statistics show that between January and August this year, 63 shootings took place in Calgary, 25 of them in Chahal’s Ward 5.
The announcement comes after Liberal leader Justin Trudeau promised stronger gun control measures while campaigning in Toronto.
WATCH: Trudeau promises new gun control measures
Trudeau said he would ban military-style assault weapons and give cities the choice to ban handguns.
Meanwhile, the Conservatives have turned down Trudeau’s argument, saying those who abide by gun laws have the right to bear them.
