Toronto police decline participation in federal gun buyback, minister says
Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree says Toronto Police has refused to take part in the national buyback. Ottawa plans mobile collection units across Ontario.
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By Torontoer Staff
Toronto Police Service has declined to take part in the federal gun buyback program, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree told reporters Monday, forcing Ottawa to rely on mobile collection units across Ontario. The announcement follows the national launch of the program over the weekend.
The buyback covers about 2,500 makes and models that the federal government has recently banned, and owners have until the end of March to declare weapons they want to turn in for compensation. The federal government says it will use mobile collection sites staffed by off-duty RCMP or local police where forces agree to participate.
What the minister said
Anandasangaree, the Scarborough MP who serves as public safety minister, said Toronto Police has "expressed that they do not want to take part in the program, and we respect that." He said Ottawa will proceed with mobile collection facilities to give Ontario residents an option to drop off firearms.
In Ontario, people will have the option of dropping it off at their local mobile collection facility. We are anticipating fairly decent uptake, and we’re also anticipating that we will have the capacity to both recover and to destroy firearms across the GTA but also across Ontario and the vast majority of Canadian provinces and territories.
Gary Anandasangaree, Public Safety Minister
Anandasangaree added that the operation will not divert existing RCMP resources and that officials are mindful of law enforcement needs. He also said the government has been cautious about sharing participant details because of pressure and harassment from opponents of the program.
Where police and provinces stand
So far, only Quebec and police services in Winnipeg, Halifax and Cape Breton have signed public agreements with the federal government. Several provincial governments and police forces have refused or delayed participation.
- Ontario government declined to support the plan, and the Ontario Provincial Police said it would not participate.
- Alberta and Saskatchewan have passed legislative barriers that limit Ottawa’s ability to collect firearms in those provinces for now.
- Peel Regional Police said it is reviewing federal details and continuing discussions with Public Safety Canada.
- York Regional Police said no policy has been finalised and that it is in active discussions with federal partners.
- Barrie Police Service said it has no current plans to participate and has had no conversations about participating so far.
Toronto Police did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday.
How the buyback will work
The buyback operates on a declaration period for owners to report banned firearms to the federal government. Officials describe compensation as first come, first served because the program is funded from a fixed $250 million pool intended to cover roughly 136,000 weapons.
There is no specific target number publicly set by the government for how many firearms it aims to recover and destroy. The program’s declaration window runs through the end of March, while the legal ban comes with an October compliance deadline.
The deadlines are real. Please heed them.
Gary Anandasangaree, Public Safety Minister
Officials have warned that failing to comply with the ban could lead to criminal liability and the potential loss of firearms licences. Competing timelines and limited funds have prompted some gun owners to wait, while others fear they could lose compensation if they delay.
Reactions from gun-rights groups and advocates
Opponents of the buyback have urged caution. Tracey Wilson of the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights told the Star that her group is advising gun owners not to rush declarations, noting compensation is not guaranteed and political changes could alter the program.
We are advising gun owners not to rush their declarations, especially because compensation is not guaranteed. Politics move fast.
Tracey Wilson, Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights
Gun-control advocates celebrated the launch. PolySeSouvient called the program a win for public safety and urged the government to ban additional popular models, including the SKS rifle, which the group says is widely available.
If the government fails to ban new sales, taxpayer-funded buyback money could be used to purchase such weapons, rendering the buyback a failure.
PolySeSouvient (statement)
The federal government has said more than 19,000 makes and models of firearms will remain available for hunters and sport shooters, a point that has drawn criticism from some advocates who say too many weapons remain legal.
What to expect next
With limited buy-in from provincial governments and some local forces, Ottawa will rely on mobile collection facilities and partnerships where possible. Federal officials say they expect to have the capacity to recover and destroy firearms across much of the country, but the details of local participation will continue to be negotiated.
As the declaration deadline approaches, gun owners will need to decide whether to declare and surrender banned firearms to receive compensation, or to risk potential enforcement once the compliance deadline arrives in October.
gun controlToronto Policefederal governmentpublic safetybuyback
