In Canada, People Gladly Trade in Guns for Shiny New Cameras

Winnipeg, Manitoba is not only known for being the capital of the Canadian prairie province but has in recent years carried another unfortunate banner— the “murder capital of Canada.” CTV News says that 41 people were murdered in the city last year, which gives the city the highest murder rate in the country.

Violent gun crime has re-emerged as a hot issue in Canada recently following a string of highly-public shootings in Toronto.

In a bid to crack down on Winnipeg’s gun violence, says the CBC , the city’s police, Henry’s Photo and Panasonic are looking to cut a deal: give them your gun, and you’ll get a nice new camera. The cops don’t care where the gun came from, whether you got it illegally or whether it was unlicensed, says PetaPixel.

Interestingly enough, jumping into photography through this program is also an “out” for anyone possessing illegal firearms. The organizers state that even illegal weapons that are turned in will be rewarded with a camera without any risk of criminal charges. Be warned, though: if it turns out that your gun is linked to crime, you won’t get your camera and will instead risk being tossed into the slammer.

A previous iteration of the program, which ran in Toronto in 2008, saw more than 900 guns turned over.

More from Smithsonian.com:
In 2010 $600 Million in Guns and Ammo Were Exported from the US
It’s All Fun and Games Until Someone 3D-Prints a Gun

Colin Schultz | | READ MORE

Colin Schultz is a freelance science writer and editor based in Toronto, Canada. He blogs for Smart News and contributes to the American Geophysical Union. He has a B.Sc. in physical science and philosophy, and a M.A. in journalism.