Staff | Blacklock's Reporter | January 9, 2023
Cabinet this year proposes to launch its long-promised national buyback of prohibited firearms starting in Prince Edward Island, according to a federal memo. Islanders own few guns and represent a low “risk assessment” before RCMP expand the program nationwide, it said.
“Prince Edward Island will be used as a pilot and will be the first point of collection based on the smaller number of firearms,” said an August 31 Transition Book for the Minister of Public Works. “As a result of lessons learned, gaps analysis and risk assessment would inform the second phase national rollout.”
“Phase two, the national rollout, is planned for spring 2023 once an information technology case management system is in full place,” said the memo. The department acknowledged “very limited interest from the industry” in supporting the buyback program first proposed three years ago.
No budget was detailed. The Parliamentary Budget Office in a 2021 Cost Estimate Of The Firearm Buyback Program put expenses at $756 million but warned details “remain unclear.”
“There remain too many outstanding questions on how this program will be implemented to currently develop a complete picture of the true potential cost of the program,” said Cost Estimate. The number of affected firearms ranged widely from 150,000 to as many as 518,000.
Cabinet in 2020 enacted Regulations Prescribing Certain Firearms that banned some 1,500 models of “assault style firearms.” The term was not defined. An amnesty period expires this October 30.
“The prohibition applies to all current and future firearm variants that meet the criteria, now over 1,800 firearms,” said the Transition Book. “These firearms can no longer be legally used, sold or imported.”
Bill C-21 An Act To Amend Certain Acts currently before the Commons public safety committee proposed to expand the ban to include any “rifle or shotgun that is capable of discharging centre fire ammunition in a semi-automatic manner.” Opponents have said the ban would affect commonly used hunting and sporting rifles.
“The primary intent of the buyback program would be to safely buyback these now prohibited firearms from society while offering fair compensation to businesses and lawful owners impacted by the prohibition,” said the Transition Book. “The Department of Public Works is currently examining options for implementation of the buyback program.”
The launch in Canada’s smallest province would affect some 6,464 licensed gun owners in Prince Edward Island, according to figures from the Commissioner of Firearms. It is a fraction the number of licensed owners in New Brunswick (70,425), Nova Scotia (75,501), Newfoundland and Labrador (75,957), Manitoba (93,182), Saskatchewan (112,790), British Columbia (315,077), Alberta (328,723), Québec (486,406) and Ontario (624,448).
By Staff
