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If adopted, weapons buy-back program would be mandatory

Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino releases a proposed pricing model for the assault-style firearms buyback program
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Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service Sgt. Jackie George removes the high capacity magazine from an assault-style rifle during a news conference. (Scott Paradis, tbnewswatch.com)

OTTAWA – The federal government is proposing a buy-back model for assault-style weapons.

During the provincial election, Ontario Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca was campaigning to make handguns and assault-style firearms illegal if elected. And at the eleventh hour, when it looked like Del Duca wasn’t going to win, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the federal government would strengthen gun laws across Canada by banning these products from the market.

"Put simply, assault-style firearms, like the AR-15, do not belong in Canada. By design, their purpose is to kill as many people as possible, which is why our government took the bold step of banning them from our country, once and for all,” said Mendicino. “Today's proposed price list represents another step towards getting these dangerous firearms out of Canadian communities while ensuring current firearms owners are compensated fairly."

Since May 2020, the federal government has banned more than 1,500 different models of assault-style firearms from being used or sold in Canada.

To ensure that the public is fairly compensated for the weapon they already purchased before the new laws are put in place the Feds are establishing a buyback program.

According to the federal government’s public safety office, “[t]he proposed price list for individual firearm owners is based on market price. The compensation amounts will be finalized in the coming months.”

The proposed pricing list was modelled after what the average Canadian may have paid for an assault-style firearm before May 1, 2020.

“The price list was developed by using data sources that include: manufacturer prices, Canadian retailer prices, foreign retailer prices (e.g. USA/EU), pricing guidebooks and auction listings. Wherever possible, manufacturer prices and Canadian retail prices were given priority,” as stated on the government’s public safety website.

Some of the prices listed are for some major pieces of hardware that have been readily available to the public before the banned.

Assault weapons like AR firearms like M16, AR-10 and AR-15 rifles and M4 carbines are listed at $1,337 per rifle, which are priced at the low end, while firearms with a muzzle energy greater than 10,000 Joules are listed the highest at $2,819.

It should be noted that as Bill C-21 comes into effect, it will be mandatory for individuals to participate in the buyback program. The compensation models and other program details will be finalized in the coming months, and all known firearm owners will be contacted about how they can participate in the buyback program.

If you are looking to share your thoughts on the buyback program, consultation surveys will be open to the public between July 28 and Aug. 28.

You can find the survey here.


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Clint Fleury

About the Author: Clint Fleury

Clint Fleury is a web reporter covering Northwestern Ontario and the Superior North regions.
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