What is the Firearms Act?

The primary goal of the Firearms Act is to promote public safety and reduce gun-related crime in Canada. It aims to achieve this in four ways.

Regulating the possession, acquisition and use of firearms: The Act sets out strict rules for obtaining a firearms licence and requires gun owners to register all the firearms they own.

Imposing restrictions on certain types of firearms: The legislation prohibits the possession of certain types of firearms, including automatic weapons, and sets out strict rules for possessing other firearms, such as handguns.

Implementing safe storage requirements: The Act requires gun owners to store firearms safely and securely to prevent unauthorized access.

Creating a national firearms registry: The legislation established the Canadian Firearms Registry to keep track of all registered firearms in the country.

The federal government introduced the Firearms Act in 1995 following a series of high-profile shootings in Canada. In particular, it was in response to the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre in Montreal, in which 14 women were killed by a man with a legally purchased Ruger Mini-14 semi-automatic rifle.

The initial version of the Act, which included a long-gun registry, was passed in 1995. However, the registry was met with significant opposition from gun owners and some politicians, who argued that it was costly and ineffective.

In 2012, the federal government abolished the long-gun registry. The rest of the Act remains in place, and Canadian gun owners are still required to obtain a firearms licence and register their weapons.