Liberal Government "Firearm Buyback" Program

USPA NEWS - The federal government has verified that the individual phase of the Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program (ASFCP) is moving forward, consistent with previous commitments to initiate implementation in January, 2026.

Saturday in Montreal, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree, alongside Secretary of State for Nature, Nathalie Provost, announced the official initiation of the Liberals' national firearms confiscation program, set to commence.

Monday, January 19th, Canadians are able to declare prohibited firearms through an online portal or by mail until March 31, 2026. While characterized as “voluntary,” compliance with the law is mandatory, and criminal liability will be applied once the amnesty period expires in October.

The Cape Breton pilot, which took place in the fall, aimed to test the program but yielded disastrous results. Participants reported inadequate compensation, mistreatment, and even feeling criminalized in one documented instance. The national rollout does not guarantee compensation, with a "first come, first served" system posing financial risks to many participants.

The National Firearms Association (NFA) has consistently stated that registration of prohibited firearms represents a necessary step leading directly to confiscation, reinforcing concerns among firearm owners regarding trust and transparency.

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree stated; "I am pleased to announce, in conjunction with my colleague Nathalie Provost and Québec Minister of Public Safety Ian Lafrenière, that the Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program is now available to individuals. Canadians deserve to be safe, which is why we are taking measures to ensure that assault-style firearms, designed to inflict maximum harm, are removed from our communities."

Owners who fail to submit a declaration will be disqualified from participating in the program, thus losing eligibility for compensation related to the surrender of their outlawed firearms upon expiration of the March 31st deadline.

Concurrently, numerous firearms organizations and their advocates have urged Prime Minister Mark Carney’s administration to relinquish the initiative, cautioning that it unjustly targets legitimate firearms owners and lacks efficacy in enhancing public safety or addressing shootings perpetrated with illicit firearms.