New regulations allow Canada Post to ship restricted firearms returned in gun buyback
Posted October 25, 2024 1:00 am.
OTTAWA — The federal government is giving Canada Post the ability to store and transport restricted firearms in new regulations that bring the retail gun buyback program one step closer to beginning.
An order-in-council dated Oct. 16 allows for restricted assault-style firearms to be removed from safes at firearms retailers, transported and ultimately destroyed.
More than 1,500 models of firearms were restricted in May 2020 after a mass shooting in Nova Scotia left 23 people dead, including the gunman.
Since then, retailers that have the now-banned weapons have been required to securely keep them in their inventory.
“Once the program launches, the updated shipping regulations will make the affected firearms and devices mailable matter and will temporarily permit businesses taking part in the program to ship firearms or devices via post,” said Gabriel Brunet, spokesperson for Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, in a statement on Friday.
LeBlanc previously said that the long-promised gun buyback would begin this fall.
First, the government will buy restricted firearms from retail stores and have them destroyed. An individual buyback program for people who own restricted weapons begins next year.
In a statement, Canada Post said it is prepared to take part in the first phase of the buyback program, because retailers are already familiar with the strict rules required to safely mail firearms.
The Crown corporation maintains it will not take part in the second phase of the buyback program, involving individual firearm owners, because of concerns with employee safety.
The Criminal Code amnesty for owning restricted assault-style firearms has been extended twice so far, and is now set to expire on Oct. 30, 2025. The regulations allowing these firearms to be mailed expires on the same date.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published October 25, 2024
David Baxter, The Canadian Press
