The federal government expanded its firearms ban Thursday, adding 324 makes and models of guns to the list of prohibited weapons, and legal gun owners in Alberta feel they are being unnecessarily targeted.
The move follows the May 2020 ban of 1,500 brands and models of firearms, including the AR-15 and Ruger Mini-14. The number rose to more than 2,000 in November this year as new variants were identified.
The federal government says it is working with provinces, territories and police on a planned buyback of banned weapons from individual owners. It has already carried out a pilot project on the collection of prohibited firearms in companies.
Justin Thomson, of Lethbridge, was one of three Canadians selected to compete in the World Pistol Caliber Carbine Competition (PCC) in the Czech Republic next spring, but with the new ban in place, he can no longer practice and is now out I’m sure he can compete.
“We work hard, we are passionate and now it has all been taken away from us,” Thomson said.
The federal government says the new ban is part of its commitment to tackling gun crime and keeping communities safe, but competitive shooters say it overlooks shooting and targets legal gun owners.
The Canadian Coalition for Firearms Rights said the announcement was typical “divide and rule” policy from the Liberal party.
Get daily national news
Get the day’s top news, political, economic and current affairs headlines delivered to your inbox once a day.
“They know their time is up and Canadians are out of money.”
Alberta Justice Minister Mickey Amery said the provincial government strongly opposes “the arbitrary reclassification of firearms and the federal government’s wasteful, ineffective and repeatedly delayed program to confiscate these firearms.”
The newly banned firearms share the same technical characteristics as those banned in May 2020. This means they can no longer be legally used or sold in Canada, and can only be transferred or transported in limited circumstances.
Officials made clear that additional makes and models could be added to the list of prohibited firearms, and said a panel of experts will provide advice on weapons still on the market.
For example, the SKS rifle, which has been used in shootings, remains legal.
Federal Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said a decision on the firearm, used by many Indigenous people for hunting, would be made in February before the next phase of the buyback program.
“We want to reflect on this over the next few weeks.”
Late last year, Parliament passed a government bill that solidified restrictions on handguns, increased penalties for firearms trafficking and aimed to curb homemade ghost guns.
The government says it is working to fully implement the bill and that the remaining provisions will come into force at the beginning of the new year.
The legislation included a ban on assault firearms that fall under a new technical definition. However, the definition does not apply to models that were already on the market when the bill was passed.
The government says it intends to table regulatory amendments in Parliament on December 13, fulfilling commitments to ensure all brands and models of firearms are considered before entering the Canadian market.
Watch the video in the player at the top of this story to learn more.
— With files from Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
