More than 22,000 firearms reported in first week of federal compensation program

Public Safety Canada reports that gun owners declared 22,251 firearms to the federal government in the first week of a compensation program for prohibited weapons. The program allows owners of banned firearms to receive compensation for turning them in or permanently deactivating them.

Owners have until the end of March to register their interest in the program. The government has set aside funds to compensate participants and expects the program to cover a significant number of prohibited firearms.

Since May 2020, Ottawa has prohibited about 2,500 types of firearms on the grounds that they belong only on the battlefield. That list includes the AR-15 and a range of other models and variants. The compensation program is aimed at owners of those prohibited firearms, offering either payment for surrendering them or for permanently deactivating them to render them inoperable.

The program has a two-stage timeline. First, owners must declare their interest in participating by the end of March. Second, prohibited firearms and devices must be disposed of or deactivated by the end of an amnesty period on Oct. 30. The declaration step starts the process for arranging surrender or deactivation and assessing compensation.

Federal officials say almost $250 million has been earmarked to compensate people who take part in the program. The government anticipates that this funding will cover compensation for about 136,000 firearms. The early report of 22,251 declared firearms suggests active initial participation, though the final number of surrendered or deactivated guns will depend on how many owners follow through by the October deadline.

Public Safety Canada describes the initial declaration as the step that lets owners indicate they intend to participate, after which arrangements for surrender or deactivation and compensation will be made. Owners choosing deactivation must have their firearms permanently altered to be non-operational in accordance with federal standards. Those choosing surrender will follow procedures set out by the program for safe transfer and disposal.

The prohibitions introduced since 2020 are part of a broader federal effort to limit access to firearms officials say are designed for battlefield use rather than civilian settings. The compensation program represents the government’s approach to removing those weapons from circulation while providing a financial path for lawful owners to comply.

Participation levels through March and actions taken before the Oct. 30 amnesty deadline will determine the program’s ultimate reach and the pace at which prohibited firearms are removed or deactivated.

Gun owners with potentially prohibited firearms should review the federal list and, if they are considering the compensation program, register their interest before the March deadline. Further details, including steps for surrender or certified deactivation and information about compensation rates, are available from Public Safety Canada.

The numbers reported in the program’s first week provide an early snapshot of participation. Officials will release further updates as the declaration period continues and as participants move toward surrendering or deactivating firearms ahead of the amnesty deadline.

The Canadian Press contributed reporting to the initial figures. Public Safety Canada provided the data on early declarations.