Ottawa's gun grab program for individuals goes national, Prairies refuse to play along

CALGARY — While the Liberal government formally announced the start of its nationwide firearms gun grab program for individuals in Montreal on Saturday, it remains to be seen how enforcement will be initiated in the Prairie provinces.Federal officials said in a technical briefing on Saturday morning that they are continuing discussions with Alberta and Saskatchewan and noted that both had previously participated in the business-focused program, receiving millions of dollars in compensation.At a press conference on Saturday, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree told the media the program was national in scope and applies to Canadians “from coast to coast to coast,” allowing firearm owners to declare prohibited weapons and have them either deactivated or surrendered for compensation.However, the minister said Alberta and Saskatchewan have created “legal impediments” that prevent the program from being initiated in those provinces.“One thing I will stress to both provinces is that these funds are available to their constituents who are law-abiding citizens and who want to get compensation for firearms that they cannot use,” Anandasangaree said.“So we're hopeful that we can find compromises where they too can either deactivate or submit their firearms for compensation.”Despite the provincial pushback, Anandasangaree stressed that compliance with the federal firearms ban is mandatory nationwide once the amnesty period expires on Oct. 31, 2026.“While we may disagree on this policy, it is law,” he said..EXCLUSIVE: Alberta doubles down on defending gun owners while rejecting federal gun grab.In early December, Premier Danielle Smith said Alberta would fight Ottawa’s gun grab program, calling it an unconstitutional attack on the rights of Albertans and proposing provincial legislation that would require Alberta to take “all reasonable steps” to ensure that neither her government nor its agencies would participate in implementing or enforcing the federal policy.Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has also been a vocal critic of the program, arguing it unfairly targets licensed, law-abiding gun owners while failing to address illegal firearms trafficking and crime.Under Moe’s leadership, Saskatchewan has introduced amendments to the Saskatchewan Firearms Act intended to counter Ottawa’s approach, which include changes aimed at protecting owners from criminal penalties while pursuing compensation and giving the provincial firearms office a role in storing voluntarily surrendered weapons.Anandasangaree told the press that failure to comply could result in criminal penalties, including the loss of a Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL).When asked directly whether RCMP officers would be collecting firearms in Alberta and Saskatchewan ahead of the deadline, the minister stated bluntly, “The Mounties are a part of the program across Canada.”Participation in the national declaration period for individuals is set to run from January 19 to March 31, 2026, and is required in order to receive compensation.So far, Ottawa has banned more than 2,500 makes and models of assault-style firearms since May 2020.

Ottawa's gun grab program for individuals goes national, Prairies refuse to play along

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