Alberta government calls on RCMP to ignore federal firearms ban within province
Alberta Justice Minister Tyler Shandro says his government will direct RCMP in the province not to enforce the confiscation of newly prohibited firearms from what were once legal owners.
"We will not tolerate taking officers off the streets in order to confiscate the property of law-abiding firearms owners," Shandro said Monday.
Shandro says the province will use a dispute clause in the provincial police service agreement to keep officers from being re-purposed to enforcement of the federal assault weapons ban.
"All Canadians whether firearms owners or not should be concerned about the scapegoating of law abiding citizens and the targeting of their property," said Teri Bryant, chief firearms officer for Alberta.
The federal ban was announced in the spring 2020 and prohibited 1,500 models of firearms and some related devices. The ban affected many semi automatic rifles that were already "restricted" – meaning owners had further layers of background checks as well as strict limits on where the guns could be used.
However, it also captured many guns that were previously non-restricted – meaning anyone with a basic firearms license could legally possess and shoot them in a much wider variety of places.
"It's going to cost billions of dollars to change how things are," said James Bachynsky, a co-owner of the Calgary Shooting Centre.
He says no clear case has been made that public safety will be improved as a result of the ban.
"They're treating us as bad guys, they're attacking us at every opportunity and claiming that somehow it's affecting public safety," Bachynsky said.
A buyback program has been floated but so far, gun owners say they are being offered pennies on the dollar. Even so, the price tag is estimated to exceed a billion dollars.
Many expect the price tag to be even higher.
"Even if these costs can be contained to $2 billion dollars, that would cover the costs of some 12,000 person years of regulatory and enforcement personnel, or a fully-paid 20-year career for some 600 people," said Bryant, reinforcing the province's stance that money to combat gun crime is being spent in the wrong place.
The provincial government is also filing legal challenges, seeking intervenor status in a half-dozen cases currently before the courts. Those cases generally challenge the constitutionality of the federal weapons ban.
Shandro says federal government informed him last week it was planning to move ahead with the confiscation of approximately 30,000 firearms in Alberta this fall.
However, even gun control advocates say the province's ban is unlikely to significantly change the planned enforcement of the law.
"It's more UCP posturing at a time we are heading into an election a provincial election – bash the feds, whoever they are and take political advantage of a situation," said David Swann, a former MLA who has had a long involvement with the Canadian Coalition for Gun Control.
Earlier this year, the federal government effectively banned all handguns in Canada. Existing owners will be allowed to keep the restricted handguns they currently own, but will not be able to sell them to other license holders.
The feds also announced a ban in importing handguns to Canada.
Firearms regulations are federal jurisdiction so it is not clear what action is available to the province.
Alberta has 326,709 licensed firearms owners as of 2020, the last year for which information is publicly available. Of those, roughly 149,000 Albertans may legally possess restricted firearms such as handguns.
More than 2.2 million Canadians hold valid firearms licences.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Prince William and wife Kate thank public for birthday messages for son Louis
Prince William and his wife Kate thanked the public for their messages which had been sent to mark the sixth birthday of their youngest son Louis on Tuesday.
She was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father. Then life dealt her a blow
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
'Catch-and-kill' strategy to be a focus as testimony resumes in Trump hush money case
A veteran tabloid publisher was expected to return to the witness stand Tuesday in Donald Trump's historic hush money trial.
Quebec farmers have been protesting since December. Is anyone listening?
Upset about high interest rates, growing paperwork and heavy regulatory burdens, protesting farmers have become a familiar sight across Quebec since December.
South Korean sentenced to 14 months in jail for killing 76 cats
South Korean man has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for killing 76 cats in one of the country's most gruesome cases of animal cruelty in recent years.