Canada Safety Council
The majority of Canadian firearm owners have long guns, which they use for hunting, sport and wildlife control. About three-quarters have a rifle, and two-thirds a shotgun, according to the RCMP. Almost always, they keep these firearms at home when not in use.
"Most gun-related deaths and injuries happen in and around the home," says Canada Safety Council president Jack Smith. "If you have firearms in your home, the best way to protect your family and visitors is to keep them unloaded and securely locked up."
A child playing with a loaded gun and inadvertently shooting a playmate is one of the most preventable tragedies. A depressed or violent person could take an unsecured gun to harm self or someone else; about 80 percent of gun-related deaths are suicides. The availability of firearms is especially dangerous when there is domestic violence. Statistics Canada reports that twenty-one percent of intimate partner homicides are committed with a gun, usually a rifle.