Canada's landmark gun buyback program, designed to remove thousands of prohibited assault-style firearms from circulation, is facing significant implementation challenges less than a year after its launch, with early data suggesting the initiative will fall short of its goals.
The program, announced following the 2020 mass shooting in Nova Scotia that killed 22 people, allocated more than C$215 million ($155 million) to compensate gun owners for turning in their weapons. As of the most recent deadline, more than 67,000 firearms had been voluntarily declared by over 37,000 Canadians. The government had set a target to buy back 136,000 guns.
However, the rollout has encountered resistance on multiple fronts. Two provinces — Alberta and Saskatchewan — have refused to participate in the program, while several police forces have said they will not assist with enforcement, calling it a significant operational burden.
What the Left Is Saying
Gun control advocates say while the federal measures represent a win for public safety, they do not go far enough. Heidi Rathjen, spokesperson for the advocacy group PolySeSouvient and a survivor of the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre, has been calling for a comprehensive ban on assault-style rifles since that tragedy.
Without a comprehensive ban on assault weapons, there is no ban… and the money will be wasted, Rathjen said. She specifically pointed to the SKS semi-automatic rifle, which remains legal under the current ban despite being a semi-automatic firearm.
Rathjen called the government's willingness to compensate current owners without banning new purchases of all rifle models a nightmare scenario. It's just unbelievable that the government has invested so much in this controversial and difficult file, so much money, so much political capital, and yet they're heading for failure, she said.
Progressive advocates point to polling data showing broad public support for stricter gun control. According to surveys, 82% of Canadians in 2020 said they support a ban on military-style assault weapons, and most believe existing gun laws are either adequate or not strict enough.
What the Right Is Saying
Conservative provinces and gun rights advocates argue the program is fundamentally flawed and will not address actual public safety concerns.
Alberta has refused to enforce the buyback program, while Saskatchewan has enacted legislation shielding gun owners from criminal liability until they receive what the province describes as a guarantee of fair compensation.
Blaine Beaven, Saskatchewan's newly appointed firearms commissioner, told the BBC his province's law is designed to protect gun owners. At its core, it's an ideological mandate that's being put out there that has limited to no discernible benefit to public safety, he said.
Frank Nardi, a Montreal-based gun shop owner, argued the law unfairly targets lawful hunters and sport shooters. He contends that mass shootings in Canada are more likely linked to failures in the mental health system rather than legal firearm ownership. Let's concentrate on that before slapping all these regulations and confiscations on all these legal firearm owners, who have always supported safety and followed the protocols, he said.
Nardi said many clients are confused about which firearms fall under the ban and which do not, blaming poor communication from the federal government. He holds up two nearly identical firearms — same caliber, all the same type of cartridges — where one is banned while the other is not.
The Canadian Coalition of Firearm Rights, which successfully challenged the ban in court, is advising gun owners who declared their firearms to withdraw their applications pending the Supreme Court's decision. Tracey Wilson, one of the group's founders, said: We're not going to wait for them to do the right thing by Canadians.
What the Numbers Show
The buyback program has secured declarations for roughly half of its 136,000-gun target, with the deadline for firearms destruction now set for October 30. The government has extended the amnesty period several times.
Canada's firearms regulations are notably stricter than those in the United States. Would-be gun owners must obtain a license by passing a safety course and undergoing rigorous background checks before purchasing any firearm.
Data from Ontario, Canada's most populous province, shows that 91% of handguns recovered from crimes in 2024 originated from the United States — highlighting the challenge of illegal gun smuggling across the border.
International comparisons offer mixed lessons. Australia's 1996 buyback program, implemented after the Port Arthur massacre, collected approximately 650,000 firearms. New Zealand collected around 56,000 firearms after the 2019 Christchurch mosque shooting.
Professor Joel Negin of the University of Sydney said Canada's program differs because it was not closely linked to other interventions and has been implemented in a fragmented manner. Australia's measures largely worked because they were part of a broad suite of measures implemented very quickly after the massacre, he noted.
Polling indicates 82% of Canadians supported a ban on military-style assault weapons as of 2020.
The Bottom Line
Canada's gun buyback program faces an uncertain future as it navigates opposition from provincial governments, police forces, and firearm rights advocates. With the Supreme Court set to hear a constitutional challenge from the Canadian Coalition of Firearm Rights, the legal landscape could shift significantly in the coming months.
Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree has said the government intends to proceed with full implementation, thanking those who declared their firearms and stating that assault-style weapons do not belong in Canadian communities.
For gun control advocates like Rathjen, the central concern remains that the ban does not go far enough to prevent future tragedies. For provincial opponents and gun rights groups, the fundamental objection is that the program targets legal owners rather than addressing illegal firearms flowing across the border.
The October deadline will test whether Canada can meet its implementation goals, but the deeper question — whether the program achieves its stated public safety objective — may take years to answer.