Doctor who treated kids with gunshot wounds joins gun-control rally in St. John's

Doctors and health workers in St. John's are joining 13 other cities across Canada on Wednesday afternoon to call on the Canadian government to pass stronger gun laws.

Pediatrician Kevin Chan saidgun violence is major public health issue Canadians need to address.

They weren't the intended targets, but they certainly were the victims.- Dr. Kevin Chan

"No kid deserves to be hurt, especially from something that is preventable, and I think we need to do something about that," said Chan.

The national day of action is organized by a group of physicians called Canadian Doctors For Protection From Guns.

Chan said he has had personal experience with gun violence during his years working in Toronto, where he treated children with gunshot wounds.

"They were just standing nearby and randomly got hit by bullets. That is tough to see and tough to watch because they weren't the intended targets, but they certainly were the victims."

Chan now works in St. John's andacknowledges gun violence statistics in Newfoundland and Labrador are not as high as in other places in the country, but he doesn't want to see achild get hurt anywhere.

On Feb. 18, members of the grouptestified before the Senate committee tasked with examining Bill C-71.The proposed legislation would see an overhaul of the background check system for owning a firearm, new record-keeping requirements for retailers and increased restrictions on transporting firearms.

• Toronto surgeon seeking handgun ban accuses firearms rights group of trying to intimidate her

The doctors are also seeking a ban on handguns and assault weapons.

Chan says Statistics Canada data shows gun violence has increased by 42 per cent since 2013.

The group started in reaction to the Danforth shooting in Toronto last summer.

Firearm advocatesays gun-control rally"misguided"

Tracey Wilson, a registered lobbyist with the Canadian Coalition for Firearms Rights said doctors have missed the issue.

"We do have some violence problems in this country, but this is not the right target," Wilson said.

"I think if we really want to make a fundamental change to make Canada safer, which is what gun owners want I think we have got to start looking past just creating laws."

Wilson said there are already multiple policies in place that make owning a gun safe like storage regulations, transport regulations and a "very robust" licensing system.

"All in all, I don't think that we have got this public health crisis that they are talking about. We have got a lot of other public health crisesthat are at the ready. The opioid crisis, to mention one."

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