Canada's attempt to ban and "buy back' more than 100,000 firearms has run into a string of issues since then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the compensated confiscation effort in May, 2020. The effort was delayed for several years, and when it finally got underway last fall the vast majority of Canadian provinces declined to help the federal government in any way.
In order to receive compensation from the feds, gun owners had to either turn in their banned firearms or at least declare their ownership, but when the declaration period closed earlier this year the Canadian government announced a little more than 67,000 firearms had been declared. That's less than half the number that the Liberal government was expecting, and its clear that plenty of Canadian gun owners have decided to keep ahold of their firearms despite the risk of prosecution in the future.
So, when I saw headlines this week declaring that the province of Saskatchewan had come up with a way for gun owners to keep their now-prohibited guns, I was intrigued. After doing a little digging, though, I'm convinced that those headlines aren't telling the full story.
It's true that Saskatchewan gun owners can now apply for an exemption that will allow them to continue legally storing firearms, based on a provision in the federal gun ban bill that exempts members of the military, law enforcement, and "people who are under the authority of federal or provincial governments."
However, that exemption comes with several strings attached.
To get a certificate, those who have prohibited firearms will have to request an appraisal of the weapon from the SFO [Saskatchewan Firearms Office]. The request can be made through the government’s Firearms Verification and Appraisal (FVA) Service, which can now be accessed online and through an app.
Certificates of exemption will remain valid as long as holders follow all requirements listed in their certificate and continue to pursue compensation from the federal government. The requirements include storing the guns legally.
Saskatchewan Firearms Commissioner Blaine Beaven said when a firearm owner is satisfied with the compensation offered by the federal government, they can contact the provincial firearms office, which will authorize the seizing or destruction of the firearm.
Justice Minister Tim McLeod has said that the newly announced measures "will help owners avoid prosecution while they await fair compensation from the federal government for their firearms"
So, what happens if a gun owner is never satisfied with the compensation offered by the federal government? That part of the province's plan remains a little murky.
“What we’re saying is, this is about valuing that property, providing fair market value, fair compensation to property owners,” McLeod said.
The provincial government empowered itself to take this step when it passed the Saskatchewan Firearms Amendment Act, 2026, which is now law.
Saskatchewan officials say the certificates of exemption will ensure owners are protected from facing criminal charges when the federal amnesty expires on Oct. 30, but again, that only applies so long as they're seeking compensation from the federal government. Presumably, if the federal government accepts the appraisal of the Saskatchewan Firearms Office, those owners will have no recourse but to hand over their firearms in exchange for a government payment.
Those gun owners who don't want to participate in the "buyback" in any way, shape, or form, meanwhile, are completely out of luck. You must alert the provincial government of all of the now-banned firearms in your possession, and you have to inform the federal government as well, since it needs to be able to offer you compensation. Simply keeping the guns you own without informing the federal or provincial governments means you could still be prosecuted once the amnesty ends in late October.
I do think the politicians in Saskatchewan who came up with this plan are trying to help the province's gun owners as best they can. I'm just not sure how feasible this is as a long-term solution, especially if the federal government were to accept the appraisal of the province's firearm office. Even if that doesn't happen, are Saskatchewan gun owners expected to keep arguing with feds over the amount of compensation forevermore in order to continue possessing the guns they lawfully purchased and possessed until the ban took effect?
Maybe it's not forever, but those efforts would probably have to continue until the next time Conservatives were in charge of the federal government. The next federal election has to take place by October 15, 2029, and Conservaties will need to pick up at least 32 seats in Parliament to gain an outright majority. As of today, polling indicates that would be a real challenge for Conservatives, though a lot can change in three years. Still, I think it's more accurate to say that Saksatchewan officials have come up with a way for provincial gun owners to keep ahold of their firearms until the feds pony up an acceptable amount of cash, rather than proclaiming the province has figured out how gun owners can keep ahold of their firearms despite the federal ban.
