Gun buyback not hurt by some provinces and police refusals, minister says

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said the federal gun buyback program can proceed using mobile units and retired or off‑duty officers despite some provinces and police declining to help; Public Safety Canada reported 22,251 firearms declared in the program’s first week.

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said the federal gun buyback program can be implemented even though several provinces and some police services have declined to assist. He said mobile collection units and off‑duty or retired officers will be used to collect prohibited firearms from owners who opt in. Public Safety Canada reported 22,251 firearms were declared in the first week of the program. Owners have until the end of March to declare interest and until an amnesty deadline on Oct. 30 to dispose of or deactivate prohibited firearms. Key details: - The minister said officials do not anticipate operational challenges and plan to use mobile collection sites and off‑duty or retired police to conduct collections. - Public Safety Canada reported 22,251 firearms declared to the program in its first week; owners must declare interest by the end of March. - Since May 2020, Ottawa has prohibited about 2,500 types of firearms, including the AR‑15, and prohibited devices must be disposed of or deactivated by Oct. 30. - Several provinces and territories — including Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador — have declined to support the program, while Quebec and the RCMP will play roles. - Federal officials say almost $250 million has been set aside and that the funds are expected to cover compensation for about 136,000 firearms; the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights disputes that estimate and says the number of affected guns is much higher. - The government acknowledged legal impediments in Alberta and Saskatchewan and is awaiting an expert panel’s recommendation on the classification of the SKS rifle. Summary: The minister says the program remains operationally feasible despite limited provincial and police participation, and early reporting shows participation in the first week. The government has earmarked funds and provided timelines for declarations and an amnesty deadline, while some provinces have raised legal objections. Next steps include addressing provincial legal challenges and awaiting the expert panel’s recommendation on the SKS classification.