Vancouver mayor will ask for handgun ban 'at earliest opportunity'

Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart says he will ask council to implement a handgun ban in the city using powers proposed under newly tabled federal legislation.

The proposed legislation would allow municipalities to ban the weapons through bylaws restricting their possession, storage and transportation.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday the measures will be backed up with serious penalties to enforce these bylaws, including jail time for people who violate municipal rules.

Stewart says in a news release that the proliferation of handguns poses a great threat to public safety in Vancouver, citing a recent uptick in gang-related shootings and weapons recovered by police.

The provincial government also introduced a new centralized hub for firearms intelligence Tuesday that it says will help suppress organized crime and gun violence.

It says the BC Provincial Forensic Laboratory will increase police capacity to analyze illegal firearms that were used for criminal activity and seized by police.

Stewart says his office will monitor the debate over Bill C-21 closely as it moves through the House and Senate for any changes made that could impact a local bylaw.

"At the earliest opportunity, I will be bringing forward a motion directing staff to prepare a handgun ban bylaw and bring it forward for a vote once this federal legislation is passed," the mayor says in the statement.