Parliamentary Committee Notes: Provincial/Territorial Positions on Firearms

Overall supportive

• Expressed support for the assault-style firearms (ASF) prohibition at July 2020 FPT DMs Responsible for Justice and Public Safety meeting.
• Passed the Firearm Violence Prevention Act (FVPA) in March 2021, implementing recommendations made in the Illegal Firearms Task Force Final Report (2017).

Overall significantly opposing

• Publicly opposes ASF prohibition: Provincial CFO wrote Minister of Public Safety to ask to overturn the ASF ban in April 2022.
• Passed law (Alberta Firearms Act) in 2021 to prevent municipalities from passing bylaws to restrict handguns and in 2023 to establish a firearm seizure licensing system to prevent the federal buyback program. Limits municipal/police ability to enter contracts with federal government for firearm-related programs.
• Established the Alberta Firearms Advisory Committee to advocate positions for firearms ownership.
• Appointed first provincial Chief Firearms Officer in August 2021.
• Opposes Bill C-21, but supports efforts to address smuggling.

Overall significantly opposing

• Publicly opposes ASF prohibition.
• Passed law (Saskatchewan Firearms Act) in 2023 to establish a firearm seizure licensing system to prevent federal buyback program.
• Passed law in 2021 to prevent municipalities from passing bylaws to restrict handguns.
• Appointed first Chief Firearms Officer in September 2021.
• Opposes Bill C-21, but supports efforts to address smuggling.

Overall opposing

• Opposes Bill C-21, but supports efforts to address smuggling.
• Appointed committee to study former Bill C-21, which reported unfavourably on the legislation and recommended that Manitoba appoint a provincial CFO.

Overall balanced

• Calls for firearms focus to be on criminal use of firearms, but has not publicly opposed Bill C-21 in its entirety.
• Will support new wiretap offences in C-21 as they requested them specifically.

Overall supportive

• Supported ASF prohibition.
• Supports further handgun restrictions.
• Opposed former Bill C-21, but largely due to municipal handgun restrictions that Quebec maintained should be delegated to provinces.

No strong public opinion

• Publicly opposes use of police and RCMP to implement buyback program.

No strong public opinion

Overall supportive

• FPT DM and ADM tables have shown general support for federal positions, including ASF ban and further restrictions on handguns.

No strong public opinion

No strong public opinion

No strong public opinion

No strong public opinion

• Publicly opposes Bill C-21's now withdrawn amendments.