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The assault style firearms ban that came into effect in Canada on May 1, 2020, has been highly controversial since its inception and implementation. Proponents of the ban say that it is a necessary step in protecting Canadians from gun violence, whereas those opposed to the ban insist that it has been an overly heavy-handed reaction that unfairly targets lawful gun owners. Either way, over 1500 models of assault-style firearms became prohibited when this ban went into effect.
Also announced on May 1, 2020, was a two-year transition period to protect the lawful owners of the now-prohibited firearms from criminal prosecution while they navigate the best way to comply with the new rules. Additionally, the Government of Canada (GOC) communicated its intention to establish a buyback program to safely remove these firearms from society while offering fair compensation to businesses and lawful owners. The Criminal Code amnesty for the affected firearms owners was initially set to expire on April 30, 2022, but was extended until October 30, 2023, to give the GOA more time to get a mandatory buyback program in place. We are now a little over eight months away from the expiration of this amnesty, and the federal government’s proposed buyback program is still somewhat murky around the edges.
Some progress has been made; a pricing model for the proposed assault style firearms mandatory buyback program was released on July 28, 2022, and was open to consultation from firearms owners, businesses, and industry until August 28, 2022. The current price list ranges from $1,139 for a Vz58 rifle to $6,209 for the SG550 rifle and SG551 carbine. The main intent of the mandatory buyback program
One of the biggest hurdles for the mandatory buyback program is that it still isn’t entirely clear how the GOA intends to implement it. In October 2022, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police characterized the program as essentially an administrative process, not a policing issue” and suggested that it could be managed by organizations other than police services. This consideration would allow the police to focus on those who refuse to follow the new law and, more importantly, on addressing border integrity, smuggling, and trafficking priorities.” A further setback was revealed in a Public Services and Procurement Canada memo that has received significant media attention in the past few weeks. It describes the agency’s request for information (RFI) posted on July 14, 2022, looking for feedback from the industry on their ability to support the delivery of the buyback program. The RFI closed on August 31, 2022, with very little interest.
With the Criminal Code amnesty expiry rapidly approaching, the GOA may need to consider another extension if they can’t get the mandatory buyback program worked out soon.
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