Today, Federal Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino announced that Justin Trudeau's government will inject $390 million into programs aimed at preventing and ending gun violence in Canada.

This amount is distributed over five years and benefits all provinces and funds two programs: the Initiative to Combat Firearms and Gang Violence (ILCVAFG / ITAAGGV) and the Safer Communities Fund (FBCS / BSCF).

According to a spokesperson for Minister Mendicino quoted by the Canadian Press agency, Ontario will receive the largest share among the provinces, amounting to $121.4 million, followed by Quebec with $84.8 million. These two provinces are respectively the largest in Canada by population.

The Public Safety Minister from Mississauga in Greater Toronto added that these investments are supposed to ’’provide additional resources to law enforcement and help youth make the right choices and help our communities thrive‘‘.

The federal government says that the Initiative to Combat Firearms and Gang Violence, launched in 2017, specifically helped the province of Quebec establish the "CENTAUR" (CENTAURE) task force that combats firearms smuggling in the province.

British Columbia used the same initiative to fund the "Organized Crime Agency," a specialized police force combating organized crime and smuggling of weapons and drugs.

As for the Safer Communities Fund, it aims to provide direct funding to local communities fighting armed gang crimes.

’’This fund, first announced in March 2022, provides direct funding to municipalities and Indigenous communities to support local initiatives that prevent firearm and gang-related violence and help youth make good choices‘‘, said a statement from the Public Safety Department.

In an interview with Radio Canada, the Public Safety Minister pointed out that the amounts announced today will primarily be used ’’to strengthen police forces that carry out field missions‘‘.

’’Practically, they (police forces) can be helped with more resources, or in purchasing new technologies‘‘, Mendicino added.