Legislative changes to the Firearms Act and Criminal Code introduced in Parliament

On May 17, 2006, the Government of Canada introduced a series of non-legislative measures to ease the burdens on firearms owners and to realize efficiencies in the firearms regime. These measures included the following:

• transferring the Canada Firearms Centre and responsibility for the Firearms Act and regulations to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP);
• reducing the annual operating budget for the program by $10 million;
• implementing licence renewal fee waivers and refunds until May 16, 2008;
• eliminating physical verification of non-restricted firearms; and
• introducing a one-year amnesty to protect currently licensed and previously-licensed owners of non-restricted firearms from criminal prosecution and to allow them to come into compliance with all laws and regulations by May 17, 2007. (This amnesty was later extended to May 16, 2008.)

The government consulted with provinces, territories and other stakeholders across Canada in the Fall of 2006 on further measures to streamline and improve the Firearms Act. The goal is to identify additional measures that could be undertaken to ensure that gun control in Canada is focused on fighting crime, keeping firearms out of the wrong hands and minimizing burdens on law-abiding gun owners.

Originally introduced in June, 2006 the Bill re-introduced today, once passed, will repeal the requirement for long-gun owners to register their hunting rifles and shotguns. Certain requirements will remain in place. Firearms owners will still require a valid firearms licence to purchase or possess firearms and to purchase ammunition, and will still be required to undergo background checks and pass a firearms safety training course.

The law will also require that the validity of a license be verified when a firearm is purchased to ensure that firearms do not fall into the wrong hands. In addition, as was the case prior to the imposition of the long-gun registry, a requirement for businesses to maintain records of all transactions involving the sale, purchase or disposal of non-restricted firearms will introduced. This is a measure that will assist police investigators in locating owners of stolen firearms or those used in the commission of a crime.

Additional information about the roles and responsibilities of firearm owners in Canada or for information on how recent and proposed changes affect your obligations, please contact the RCMP's Canada Firearms Centre at 1-800-731-4000, or visit their website at www.cfc-cafc.gc.ca.