Firearms Injury

Children aged 14 and under are most likely to be victims of unintentional firearm injury or homicide.
Source: Canadian Paediatric Society

Some estimates assess the frequency of non-fatal firearms injuries to be between 10 and 13 times the number of fatal injuries, with considerable variations across the country. Long guns are more often involved than handguns in unintentional injuries. Victims are frequently children and adolescents, with most cases involving children at play.
Source: Canadian Department of Justice – International Centre for Criminal
Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy

A comprehensive study released in 2002 indicated that there are approximately 7.9 million firearms and 2.3 million firearm owners in Canada.
Source: Canada Firearms Centre

The Canadian Firearms Act indicates that all firearms in Canada must have been registered by January 1, 2003. In order to register a firearm, the applicant must first have a licence. Furthermore, safe storage regulations require that all firearms be stored unloaded and be made inoperable, usually through a locking device.
Source: Canada Firearms Centre

A survey of 26 middle-upper income countries by the Centers for Disease Control showed that Canada is fifth among industrialized countries in the rate of children under 14 years of age killed with guns, following the US, Finland, Northern Ireland and Israel.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Rates of Homicide, Suicide and Firearm – Related Death Among Children – 26 industrialized countries.” MMWR, Vol. 46, No.5.

The primary reason for firearm ownership in Canada is sport, for example – hunting or target shooting. Many Canadian youths become involved in these sports. Between 1990 and 1998 anywhere from 2500 to 4800 minors’ permits were issued annually. This does not include all the minors who hunted without permits along side their parents or other adults.
Source: RCMP: Annual firearms report to Solicitor General