Handguns have been registered in Canada since 1934, and for decades, the Canadian government only used the registration records for innocent purposes. But shortly after winning election in November 1993, the new Chr tien government imposed an administrative decree banning over half of all handguns. The current registered owners may retain the guns until they die, and then the guns must be surrendered to the government. No compensation will be paid for the confiscation. Registration this year is plainly a step towards confiscation a few years from now.
Public safety has nothing to do with it.
Guns are favored by rural males, and are associated with self-reliance, and are therefore contrary to the Liberal Party's desire for a feminized and dependent nation. In short, Canadian gun control is a sort of slow-motion hate crime, perpetrated by the government. The real purpose is to harm a minority whom the government dislikes. The Canadian nation has always prided itself on tolerance. Not one bit further.