Quebec Public Safety Minister Ian Lafrenière says the province’s firearms registry cannot be used by Ottawa to identify gun owners who are affected by the federal gun ban, nor will firearms be confiscated from Quebecers.
Lafrenière made the comments in a Feb. 26 social media post, saying he has heard the concerns about the federal gun buyback program from residents of the province.
The Liberal government’s buyback program offers financial compensation for handing in or permanently deactivating firearms that fall under the federal government’s ban. Ottawa has banned approximately 2,500 types of what it calls “assault-style” firearms since 2020.
Quebec is the only province that has expressed support for the buyback program so far. The province signed a “financial contribution agreement” with Ottawa in January to support the implementation of the program.
Quebec also has its own firearms registry, which collects information on firearms and their owners in the province.
“For us, it was out of the question to let the federal government implement the program in Quebec, and we made it clear that Quebec’s registry will not be used,” Lafrenière said in French.
Lafrenière also said that the buyback program will not solve the problems associated with gun crime “on its own” and noted that “many people” are asking why Quebec is participating in the program.
“We reached an agreement with the federal government to make it easier, for those who wish to do so, to obtain financial compensation—plain and simple,” Lafrenière said, adding that thousands of firearms owners have declared interest in the compensation program so far.
Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said on Jan. 17 that “assault-style firearms do not belong in our communities,” and that banning and removing them from communities is “an important part of our government’s commitment to tackling gun violence and keeping Canadians safe.”
Eligible gun owners across Canada have until March 31 to submit a declaration through the government’s online portal or by mail.
Individuals who fail to submit a declaration are required to either dispose of or deactivate their prohibited firearms prior to the conclusion of the amnesty period on Oct. 30. Individuals who retain banned firearms after this date will be deemed to be in violation of the law and may face criminal charges.
Public Safety Canada said that more than 32,000 firearms had been declared across the country as of Feb. 20. That includes 13,219 in Ontario, 7,369 in British Columbia, 5,539 in Quebec, and 2,730 in Alberta.
While the RCMP and Quebec’s provincial police force have said they will collect guns eligible for compensation, several other police services have said they will not help with implementing the program.
Several provinces and territories, including Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut, have said they will not participate in the program.
Quebec City Rally
Meanwhile, gun rights advocates are holding a rally in Quebec City on Feb. 28 in protest of the Liberal government’s gun ban and buyback program.
The National Firearms Association (NFA) said the event will bring hunters, sport shooters, collectors, farmers, indigenous community members, and everyday licensed gun owners together to “stand for fairness, evidence-based policy, and respect for lawful age-old traditions.”
The NFA said that what happens in Quebec “is central to what happens next.”
“Participation here will shape the future of this program nationwide,” the association said in promoting the rally.
Meanwhile, gun control advocates are questioning the timing of the rally, which will come just 18 days after the Tumbler Ridge, B.C., mass shooting that left nine people dead, including the shooter, and 27 injured. Gun control group PolyRemembers said the rally’s “timing, its stated justifications, and the celebratory atmosphere” could be viewed as “a slap in the face” by mass shooting survivors.
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