Alberta, Saskatchewan Condemn Ottawa’s Bid to Ban More Firearms

Alberta Justice Minister Tyler Shandro answers questions at a news conference in Calgary on Sept. 3, 2021. The Canadian Press/Todd Korol

EDMONTON—The governments of Alberta and Saskatchewan are condemning the federal government’s bid to ban almost all semi-automatic rifles and shotguns through a last-minute amendment to Bill C-21.

On Tuesday, Liberal MPs on the House of Commons Public Safety Committee introduced an amendment to proposed legislation to further restrict access to handguns in Canada which would ban virtually all semi-automatic firearms, including hunting rifles.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said the measure does nothing to target illegal firearms, while Alberta Justice Minister Tyler Shandro said it abandons long-held claims from federal Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino that his government would only seek to ban what Ottawa calls “assault-style” weapons.

“If the amendments are successful, Bill C-21 will lead to the most sweeping and arbitrary ban in Canadian history,” Shandro said in a press release. “The ban will not only be unenforceable but will criminalize hundreds of thousands of Canadians.”

Shandro said the amendments “target more than two million licensed Canadian firearms owners,” including hunters, farmers, and target shooters.

Moe said the move effectively bans “all centre fire semi-automatic rifles used by Saskatchewan residents for hunting and protection of livestock from predators.”

“Our government fully supports initiatives that target the criminal and illegal use of firearms, such as stronger enforcement and penalties for illegally purchasing firearms, cross-border weapons trafficking, and illegal activities committed with a firearm,” Moe said in a statement on Twitter.

“We do not support the federal government’s firearm control measures as outlined in C-21, as they eliminate lawful licensed firearm owners right to access and use their legally acquired firearms.”

Conservative public safety critic Raquel Dancho, one of the Tory MPs on the public safety committee, called the amendment “an all-out war on hunters” in Canada.

“I am quite shocked,” she said.

In May 2020, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau banned more than 1,500 models of firearms, including guns explicitly used for sport shooting and hunting, through an Order in Council. The government also proposed a mandatory buyback program to compensate firearms owners.

The government says Bill C-21 is needed to curb gun crime.

On Oct. 27, police experts told the committee that C-21 does not address the real issue of illegal firearms. Chief of Regina Police Service Evan Bray said restricting lawful handgun ownership will not meaningfully address the real problem, while president of the National Police Federation Brian Sauvé said the proposed legislation “primarily” targets legal firearm owners who have followed government regulations.

They also told MPs that policing services across Canada will suffer if officers are redirected to collect firearms as part of the buyback program.

That warning came after Mendicino asked the provinces to help confiscate firearms.

Alberta and Saskatchewan said they told their provincial RCMP not to help with the program. Manitoba and New Brunswick said they don’t want their stretched regional policing resources used for the buyback.

Shandro said it’s now become clear those actions are not enough.

“The federal government is clearly seeking to ban legal firearm ownership altogether,” he said. “In the coming weeks, Alberta will explore all available options to take action.”

Debate on the proposed amendment will continue on Thursday.