"We have seen too many shootings result in too many funerals for our young people," Premier Dalton McGuinty wrote in an open letter to federal party leaders, urging them to push through proposed criminal justice legislation and implement a "real ban" on handguns.

"Handguns are designed for one purpose only – to shoot people – and should have no place in Ontario or anywhere in Canada."

Handguns are already severely restricted in Canada, and a handgun registry has been in force for more than 60 years.

Currently, handguns in Canada are classified as either restricted or prohibited weapons. Canadians can receive a licence to own a restricted weapon if they can prove it's part of a gun collection or used for target practice or target-shooting competitions.

Only under "limited circumstances" can a person possess a restricted firearm for employment purposes, such as for a police officer, or for protection of a life. Source...