Her letter to Canada’s Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino details several issues Albertans have with the 2020 federal ban. The federal measure prohibits more than 1,500 models of firearms and other related firearm components. It also calls for an amnesty period and a federal program to acquire and destroy the firearms.

The banning of an arbitrary selection of firearms and imposing unfair costs and controls on law-abiding gun owners reflects a main concern of Albertans: firearms policies and regulations should be evidence-based instead of ineffective measures that target law-abiding citizens rather than criminals.

In her letter, Bryant offers the federal government a number of recommendations to improve this approach to public safety. This includes cancelling the order-in-council prohibitions and instead focusing on measures aimed at improving the tracking and prosecution of actual offenders rather than honest, law-abiding citizens.

“The federal government’s arbitrary firearm ban creates new challenges for law-abiding firearms owners without benefiting public safety. We established the chief firearms office to assert our provincial jurisdiction and ensure the rights of Albertans. I support Alberta’s chief firearms officer in making sure we have a voice in our country’s firearms discourse.”

Tyler Shandro, Minister of Justice and Solicitor General

“Since becoming Alberta’s first provincially appointed chief firearms officer under the Firearms Act, Albertans have been consistently telling me the 2020 federal firearm ban is unrealistic, unworkable and unhelpful. I hope this letter sends the message to Ottawa loud and clear – Albertans deserve sensible and effective firearm legislation.”

Teri Bryant, chief firearms officer

Quick facts

  • The federal order-in-council of concern is SOR/2020-96, which was passed by the federal government in May 2020.
  • Alberta’s chief firearms officer’s recommendations to the Government of Canada:
    • Cancel the 2020 firearms prohibitions.
    • Improve identification, tracking and prosecution of firearms traffickers, straw purchasers and others who use firearms in the commission of an offence.
    • Improve social programming initiatives to address criminal behaviour and addictions issues.
    • Provide provinces with the option to opt-out of the firearms prohibition and instead use the funding to create alternative effective solutions developed at the local level.
    • Increase staffing for law enforcement agencies and enhance communication capabilities between agencies.