The Canadian government has announced the latest phase of its national gun buyback initiative, giving citizens a window of approximately two months to express their desire to participate and receive compensation for surrendering banned firearms. Since 2020, Ottawa has prohibited around 2,500 types of what it terms “assault-style” firearms, contending that they are primarily intended for combat rather than for hunting or recreational shooting.
During a press briefing, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree emphasized the voluntary nature of the compensation program while underlining the imperative of compliance with the law. The declaration period commences on Monday and extends until March 31, permitting Canadians to submit their declarations online or via traditional paper methods.
Compensation payouts will be processed within 45 business days following the successful validation of the prohibited firearm. The allotted funding amounts to $248.6 million, accommodating approximately 136,000 outlawed firearms from individual owners. Failure to declare participation by the March 31 deadline means exclusion from the program and the consequent loss of compensation for surrendered firearms.
Compensation allocations will be administered on a first-come, first-served basis, contingent upon the submission date of declarations and the availability of program funds at that time. The documents also stipulate that the amnesty period for possessing banned firearms will conclude on October 30, 2026, after which non-compliant individuals risk criminal prosecution.
Furthermore, firearm owners can opt to permanently deactivate their firearms at their expense, surrender them to local law enforcement without compensation, or export them with a valid permit if they choose not to participate in the program. The government has indicated that following the nationwide declaration process, the buyback initiative will be reopened for businesses possessing prohibited firearms.
Despite opposition from certain gun owners and the Conservative Party of Canada, who argue that the policy unfairly penalizes law-abiding firearm owners without enhancing public safety, the federal government is proceeding with the buyback program. Several provinces, including Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, have expressed reservations or taken legislative measures against the initiative, impacting its implementation in those regions.
Critics, such as the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights (CCFR), have denounced the program as wasteful and ineffective, advocating for broader compensation coverage. Tracey Wilson of CCFR criticized the government’s focus on the buyback program instead of addressing issues like crime, violence, and gun trafficking.
Emphasizing the importance of public safety, Anandasangaree maintained that removing assault-style firearms from communities is a positive step. Gun control advocacy groups have lauded the launch of the program, asserting that outlawed firearms present significant public safety risks and are commonly used in mass shootings and attacks on law enforcement.
The federal government’s pilot project in Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton region yielded lower-than-expected participation, with only 25 firearms collected and destroyed out of an anticipated 200. Despite hurdles and opposition, the government remains committed to the buyback program as part of its public safety strategy.