441-02009 (Justice)

Too many Canadians have been affected by senseless acts of gun violence. Canadians deserve to be safe in their communities.

To address this, our Government is implementing a comprehensive approach to strengthen firearms control and tackle firearm-related violence across Canada, prioritizing public safety, reducing access to dangerous firearms, strengthening our borders, and supporting effective police work and community programming. To date our Government has:

• Helped communities divert youth away from gang culture through the National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS), having invested approximately $565 million in support of 684 crime prevention interventions and over $40 million annually in funding to community organizations to deliver culturally specific interventions that address the root causes of violence among youth and young people;
• Invested $122.7 million and have supported 47 gang prevention and diversion projects through the Youth Gang Prevention Fund (YGPF);
• Announced $250 million through the Building Safer Communities Fund (BSCF) which provides direct funding to municipalities and Indigenous communities to strengthen local efforts to counter the social conditions that lead to criminal behaviour;
• Invested $656.1 million over five years for the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to modernize our borders, including enhancing our ability to detect contraband and helping protect the integrity of our border infrastructure;
• Invested $15 million to enhance our capabilities to trace crime guns. This funding will support the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in the development of a new national tracing database; and,
• Allocated over $700 million under the Initiative to Take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence.

This holistic approach to prevention, including addressing root causes and strengthening police and borders, allows for a more impactful and enduring approach to reducing violence and gun crime within our communities.

As part of this approach, on May 1, 2020, the Regulations Prescribing Certain Firearms and Other Weapons, Components and Parts of Weapons, Accessories, Cartridge Magazines, Ammunition and Projectiles as Prohibited, Restricted or Non-Restricted were amended to reclassify, and prohibit, approximately 1,500 models of firearms and their variants. The prohibition limits access to the most dangerous firearms.

An Amnesty Order has been put in place to protect impacted owners from criminal liability, and to provide them with time to come into compliance with the law. Those who remain in possession of these firearms at the end of the amnesty period could be subject to criminal liability for unlawful possession.

To support compliance with the law, the Government is committed to implementing a Firearms Buyback Program to ensure that these prohibited firearms are safely removed from our communities and that law abiding Canadians are fairly compensated for their contribution to public safety.

The Government is designing a program that is user-friendly, safe, and efficient while also recognizing the interests of hunters, including Indigenous hunters. Canadians and businesses can expect fair compensation for participation in the Firearms Buyback Program, for use as they see fit, including buying other firearms. Impacted owners, especially Indigenous groups, will continue to be engaged to understand and appreciate their unique interests and ensure they are considered in the design and implementation of the Program.

As part of its comprehensive approach to address firearms violence, on May 30, 2022, the Government of Canada introduced Bill C-21, An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms), which received Royal Assent on December 15, 2023. The objective and spirit of Bill C-21 is to enhance public safety through targeted firearms control and since its introduction, the Government of Canada has made clear commitments to take further action to protect Canadians and communities from gun violence.

The new legislative measures aim to:

• Reduce firearm-related family violence, self-harm and prevent firearms misuse;
• Decrease the risks associated with handguns by preventing most individuals from buying, selling and transferring handguns;
• Prevent new assault-style firearms from entering the Canadian market;
• Address the growing threat posed by ghost guns;
• Provide additional tools for border controls and authorities to combat firearms smuggling, trafficking and related offences;
• Establish new firearm-related offences and strengthened penalties;
• Reaffirm respect for Aboriginal and treaty rights of Indigenous peoples; and,
• Maintain the security of federal entities and solidify the administration of firearms control.

The amendments to the Criminal Code introduced by Bill C-21 include a new technical definition of a prohibited firearm which contains the characteristics of an assault-style firearm. Firearms that meet the technical characteristics and requirements of that definition, if they are designed and manufactured on or after Royal Assent, are prohibited.  

On May 1^st, 2023, the Government announced measures that complement Bill C-21, this included re-establishing the Canadian Firearms Advisory Committee (CFAC) to independently review the classification of existing firearms. There are firearms on the existing market that do not belong in our communities. With a diverse membership, the Committee will make expert recommendations to account for any gaps in the market.