to public policy challenges and fights. And to be able to see the leadership of the Canadian federal government with the Prime Minister and other ministers come together with civil society and the incredible advocates here in Toronto and around Canada, as well as leadership from Maple Leaf sports and entertainment and the Toronto Raptors. This is why we as a coalition exists. Our entire mission and mandate is to help support MBA stakeholders and teams come together with folks who are concerned about making a difference in other people's lives to promote the justice issues that matter to us all. And one of those most challenging and justice issues is the issue of gun violence and community safety. To be in a position to talk about that now to be here in Toronto. Canada, and being able to make the connection between the gun violence challenges that we face in the United States, where we are seeing city after city tried to wrestle with and contend with how we save lives, to know that there is that shared challenge across the border, but that we have that connectivity through the MTV here. The answer to that is in this facility today. When you get diverse members of the community coming together around an issue that you know impacts people's lives, you can make a real difference. And so I'm thrilled to celebrate with you all it is my privilege to be able to say that we have Ken Canada, the inaugural of Gun Violence Awareness Day, and to be able to introduce Messiah Jiri, the vice chairman and president of the Toronto Raptors.
Thank you, thank you. This is an incredible day for us. So welcome everyone to ovo. Honorable Minister, Prime Minister. I know Minister mannucci noise here, Minister, en Marcy all dressed in white looking nice. And I think everyone most important, I think our community leaders and the people who actually like make this happen. So I was first my first experience with gun violence was an experience with Lorsch. The shooting in La La Xiang side on the news, and I happen to be contacted by the great Marcy and we contacted the Prime Minister. We visited la Losch by the way, God bless everybody, going through all the fire outbreaks in the country we know a lot I know is affected so man, be protected. My second experience was with the Somalia women and men in the sky, men in the crack in the sky, our community or community leaders now have now come together to effect or maybe to really work with government to get this incredible, a very incredible day. So whether it's the Somalia women whether it's the one by one movement, whether it's the zero valence movement where we're all together, and there's because I know one thing I'm happy that everybody is here in this sports environment because I think sports is that protector. I think sports brings people together. I think sports brings peace in an incredible, incredible way. And sport is a connector and we're proud of that on behalf of ownership on behalf of our leadership team CEO Cynthia, I know you're here. People with supporting our ownership takes pride in this our players. Take pride pride in this and I will say this for us. We have to be voices. You know like I can say yeah, why does sports participate? In these things? This is our community. The youth were huge part of them were a huge part of this communities. And it affects us in every way. I don't like the news anymore because I watch it and I see you know like that. This things could happen close to us. You see the streets have become closer and closer and we all need to pay attention in our beloved Canada. So I want to say thank you to everybody that has played an incredible part in this in bringing this together bringing this gun Awareness Day here. And with that, I'd like to introduce the honorable Prime Minister to the standard.
Hello, everyone. Thank you, James, John Maasai, for your words. And thanks to the Toronto Raptors, the NBA and MLSE for hosting this event. Treasure heard that is your company the minister manda Chino en basically Deputy demoff Man Diane cowabunga no Muhammad a chang. A year ago, we held a roundtable in Rexdale, with Maasai and with many of you, advocates, families, friends, community members, we heard from Ken price and the Danforth families. We heard from mothers like Shum, soil me and Shamsul Mohammed who both both lost their sons to gun violence. We heard from so many others. I know that serais Ibrahim, who's here today has heard these stories too, which is why she co founded mothers for peace. We must continue to have these real, sometimes difficult, always important conversations about the work that we're doing to combat gun violence. When we recognize first and foremost, that this is a complex challenge is it's not just about guns. underlying issues also include mental health, poverty, gender based violence. Gun violence is something we must fight on many different fronts across the country. One of the most important fronts is prevention, education, and awareness. I know that's particularly important to you my side, you've used your voice, and disorganization. To talk about these things, these issues, bring them forward, make them real in the community. bring young people from the communities here to learn to be empowered to grow confidence to see paths forward and solutions. That's how messa you and the Raptors continue to show that your winning team not just on the court, but throughout the community and across the country. Kids are inspired by their favorite players, the positive effects of Scotty barns or a Pascal siakam is going to go in to visit their schools being able to see them here. Is making a positive change in their lives. And we know that one of the most important things for young people to hear is that they matter. They matter to their community. They matter to their country. That as a society, as organizations as individuals, whether it's teachers or coaches or mentors or uncle's or parents that were willing to invest in them. They were willing to lean in and support them and show them that they matter and they matter not just one day if they're successful at navigating through but that they matter now that the choices they make now, matter not just for their own path. But for our collective power and our collective world. That's why taking a moment to recognize the incredible community leaders and advocates, the mentors, the coaches, people who take time for our young people every single day who know that if we are going to create a better world the most important thing we can do is make sure young people see themselves as not just able but necessary to shape that better world and not just some young people, all young people and that is what you do every day Messiah and that's what the Raptors organization in the NBA, and so many are trying to do to show young people how much they matter. So thank you for that. Today, we're here to give even more tools to Canadians to be able to raise awareness on the ravaging issue. of gun violence. We're officially designated the first Friday of june of every year as the National Day against gun violence. It'll be a day of remembrance at a time to recommit ourselves to building a Canada free of gun violence. Oh gee, Nanos gonna put me on the hot seat you might drop the check honey. So Hello, Johnny national control of your lungs. So ginger nipples is 70 Odd Tim Angel nipple failed lessons. CBDs Asya just last week, we saw he had another heartbreaking tragedy. This time in Hamilton. This has got to stop conflict deeply to Metacafe. And have you announced Bahama through exertion at Gmail Chanel, Premiere mindful chemo in the Hama Fernando community. April 7 edition about Loma Prieta mills. Thanks so much dad. Adopt my food. It's still so eco peeler Ruger mini cattles Katie giudizio Polytechnique case. We also froze the national market for handguns, and we expanded background checks to keep firearms out of the wrong hands. These are examples of what we're doing to reduce the amounts of firearms circulating in our streets. But that's just the first step. Secondly, we're doing more to address smuggling and trafficking we just passed bill C 21. In the house and this bill includes increased maximum penalties for gun traffickers, as well as new firearm related offenses and strengthened penalties. By the way, Conservative Party voted against this bill. The particle survived out of the cold Leilua 70 or so is our measure. Over the past years, our government invested to enhance law enforcement capacity to address gun and gang violence and gun related crimes. For example, our investments allowed the Canada Border Services Agency to get additional detector dogs and more X ray devices to increase screening volumes 2022 alone, our border agents kept 1000s of prohibited firearms and weapons off our streets, doubling the number of interdicted firearms from one year to the next. Let's be honest here. conservative politicians spend a lot of time stoking fear around violent crime, but they have consistently stood against measures to ensure less crime and fewer victims. Truth is the previous Conservative government made absolutely no effort to tackle gun violence and to this day, conservative politicians continue to cozy up to the gun lobby. But our government will continue to step up. Because this is what responsible leadership requires us to do. We can't do this alone. And that's why it's so important that for a long time, you've all been stepping up as well. I talked earlier about the positive influence community leaders like Maasai and so many others in this room can have, especially on young people, because this is so important. Every effort counts. It's not just the work that police and governments do. It's about education in our communities. It's about awareness. And prevention. It's about investing money, sure, but also time and effort and presence it's where young.
It's not just sports. Although basketball is incredibly powerful. It's music. It's the arts. It's social media. It's all the different ways they can find their confidence build their strikes, their capacity and their impact on the world around them. It's about getting people to help they need you photos. Some of them I know community, people Sakalava because every Canadian should have the freedom to go to their supermarket, their school or their place of worship. Without fear, violence doctors, teachers could work with you as partners, community members, advocates, families of victims, doctors teachers, police officers, we're here to work alongside you on the national day against gun violence, and every day because every Canadian should have the freedom to go to their supermarket, their school or their place of worship, without fear. So thank you all of you for everything you do to be such an essential part of this work. Let's get going. We have seats or not
