Parliamentary Committee Notes: Provincial-Territorial Positions on Firearms

Provincial/Territorial Positions on Firearms
Province/Territory Overall Position on Federal Firearms Measures Relevant Positions/Actions
British Columbia Overall supportive
  • Expressed support for the assault-style firearms (ASF) prohibition at July 2020 FPT DMs Responsible for Justice and Public Safety meeting.
  • Passed the Firearm Violence Prevention Act (FVPA) in March 2021.
Alberta Overall significantly opposing
  • Publicly opposes ASF prohibition.
  • Passed law to prevent municipalities from passing bylaws to restrict handguns.
  • Established the Alberta Firearms Advisory Committee to advocate positions for firearms ownership.
  • Appointed first provincial Chief Firearms Officer in August 2021.
  • Provincial CFO wrote Minister of Public Safety to ask to overturn the ASF ban in April 2022.
  • Opposed former Bill C-21, but supports efforts to address smuggling.
  • Opposes current Bill C-21:
    • The announced measures amount to a federal ban on handguns that puts a burden on law-abiding firearms owners instead of on violent criminals.
    • New limits on magazine capacity for modern sporting rifles also target responsible firearms owners who already follow the rules rather than those misusing guns to commit crimes.
    • Creating a mandatory federal confiscation and compensation system to purchase arbitrarily banned firearms from owners who acquired them legally is an unnecessary and expensive overreach into personal property rights.
    • The proposed changes will drastically alter the landscape of firearms legislation and lawful sports and target shooting without offering Albertans any increased public safety.
    • During Premier Jason Kenney’s radio show, he promised to back Bryant as she challenges the legislation.
  • Concerned about the Bill C-71 regulations for licence verification and business record-keeping for non-restricted firearms that came into force on May 18, 2022:
    • The deadline provided a totally inadequate lead time given the scope of these changes and their profound impact on law-abiding firearms owners and businesses.
    • Distressingly little has been done to prepare individuals, businesses or chief firearms offices for the serious compliance challenges posed by these measures.
    • This lack of information has led to intense concerns about the potential return of a federal long gun registry.
Saskatchewan Overall significantly opposing
  • Publicly opposes ASF prohibition.
  • Passed law to prevent municipalities from passing bylaws to restrict handguns.
  • Appointed first Chief Firearms Officer in September 2021.
  • Opposed former Bill C-21, but supports efforts to address smuggling.
  • Opposes current Bill C-21, but is interested in the increases to fines and penalties for people who steal a firearm, or use on in property crime.
    • Premier Scott Moe said he has asked his justice minister to look at ways the province could counteract these proposals.
    • Premier Scott Moe called the changes “extremely problematic because it absolutely appears to be going after those that own firearms, but do so legally and are following all of the rules and regulations that are in place."
    • Premier Scott Moe noted that it is a distraction from another federal bill to remove mandatory minimum sentences (Bill C-5, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act)
    • An emailed statement attributed to the Chief Firearms Officer, Robert Freberg, said Saskatchewan continues to oppose federal gun control measures.
    • The CFO’s statement said the changes “unfairly target” law-abiding gun owners, and will do little to affect firearm-related crime in Saskatchewan.
    • The CFO’s statement said: “If the federal government thought handguns were causing violent crime in Canada, they would have just outright banned them instead of ‘freezing’ them.”
    • The CFO’s statement said that the Saskatchewan Firearms Office will be “reviewing all options” to oppose the bill and Freberg will review it to “best mitigate the damage it may cause to lawful firearms owners”.
Manitoba Overall opposing
  • Opposed former Bill C-21, but supports efforts to address smuggling.
  • Appointed committee to study former Bill C-21, which reported unfavourably on the legislation and recommended that Manitoba appoint a provincial CFO.
Ontario Overall balanced
  • Calls for firearms focus to be on criminal use of firearms, but has not publicly opposed former Bill C-21 in its entirety.
  • Will support new wiretap offences it requested in new Bill C-21.
  • Toronto Mayor John Tory welcomed the proposed handgun freeze as a "step in the right direction."
    • "Gun violence is a national problem requiring national solutions," he said. "Toronto city council has been clear that it supports a national handgun ban."
Quebec Overall supportive
  • Supported ASF prohibition.
  • Supports further handgun restrictions.
  • Opposed former Bill C-21, but largely due to municipal handgun restrictions that Quebec maintained should be delegated to provinces.
  • Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante praised the proposed measures but added she wants to see a full ban on handguns eventually.
    • In a media statement, she said: "National tools to fight armed and domestic violence are a win for Montreal and cities across the country. We hope that the step taken today by the Canadian government leads us towards the complete ban of handguns on our territory and out of the reach of young people."
New Brunswick No strong public opinion  
Prince Edward Island No strong public opinion  
Nova Scotia Overall supportive FPT DM and ADM tables have shown general support for federal positions, including ASF ban and further restrictions on handguns.
Newfoundland and Labrador No strong public opinion  
Nunavut No strong public opinion  
Northwest Territories No strong public opinion  
Yukon No strong public opinion  
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