Canada’s newly implemented assault-style firearms buyback program has encountered significant criticism from provincial authorities, police departments,
and gun owners, despite the country’s generally strong support for gun control.
The controversy comes in the wake of a tragic mass shooting at a school in British Columbia, highlighting ongoing concerns
about public safety and the logistics of nationwide enforcement.
The Canadian government introduced the buyback as part of a broader set of reforms enacted after the country’s deadliest shooting in modern history:
a 2020 attack in Nova Scotia where 22 people were killed by a man impersonating a police officer.
The legislation bans approximately 2,500 makes and models of assault-style firearms, offering owners compensation for surrendering their weapons.
Under the program, gun owners must register for the buyback by March 31 to receive compensation,
though firearms must be surrendered or permanently decommissioned by October 30, 2026, regardless of payment.
The federal government estimates funding for around 136,000 firearms, but Canada has an estimated 2 million registered and 10 million unregistered guns, complicating the program’s reach.
Despite the strong public support for gun control, the rollout has been slow, partly due to resistance from stakeholders.
Alberta, for example, has refused to participate, with Chief Firearms Officer Teri Bryant emphasizing that provincial authorities had six years to prepare a mechanism for the buyback. Saskatchewan and Manitoba have also declined participation.
To compensate, the federal government plans to deploy mobile collection units to retrieve prohibited firearms,
though practical details remain uncertain in provinces like Alberta.
Gun owners themselves have expressed concerns. Rod Giltaca, head of the Canadian Coalition for Firearms Rights,
supports strict licensing but warns the buyback could unfairly penalize law-abiding citizens.
He stresses that regulation should demonstrate tangible safety improvements rather than serving as political gestures.
Police departments, particularly in Ontario and smaller jurisdictions, have raised operational concerns,
noting that the program primarily targets legally owned firearms while illegal guns—often smuggled from the United States—remain a persistent challenge.
In fact, some firearms used in the 2020 Nova Scotia massacre were illegally obtained from Maine.
Experts on gun violence caution that buyback schemes may not significantly reduce violent crime.
Sociologist Jooyoung Lee points out that those surrendering firearms are unlikely to be the same individuals contributing to criminal networks.
However, proponents argue the program’s goal is more narrowly focused on preventing mass shootings rather than eliminating all gun crime.
Wendy Cukier of the Coalition for Gun Control notes that the buyback targets semi-automatic, military-style weapons,
reflecting the public’s consensus that civilians should not have access to these firearms.
Overall, while Canada already enforces stricter gun laws than the United States and mass shootings are rare,
the buyback program represents a high-profile effort to remove high-risk firearms from circulation.
Its ultimate effectiveness will depend on cooperation among federal and provincial authorities, adherence by gun owners,
and complementary strategies to curb illegal smuggling and strengthen law enforcement capacity.
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