UPDATE: Here are some introductory Frequently Asked Questions for Firearms Bill C-21, which was introduced in the House of Commons on Feb. 16, 2021.
On Feb. 16 the Government of Canada introduced Bill C-21, An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms), in the House of Commons.
This Bill includes several new provisions related to municipal handgun bans, stronger penalties for some firearm-related offences, and an option for owners to keep their firearms that were prohibited on May 1, 2020 under SOR/2020-96.
Below is a quick look at some of the measures within the Bill:
- an option for owners of prohibited firearms under SOR/2020-96 to retain them (with conditions of no use, sale, bequeathal, import, and further acquisition);
- ‘red flag’ laws that would allow anyone to make an application for a prohibition order (to remove firearms) against another person (order could extend to firearms possessed by others in the household);
- ‘yellow flag’ laws that would allow anyone to contact the Chief Firearms Officers (CFO) to raise concerns (could result in a licence suspension for 30 days);
- enable municipalities to restrict handgun storage and transportation through by-laws (by including them as a condition of licence);
- stronger penalties for some firearm possession offences (e.g. trafficking); and,
- new penalties for altering magazines to exceed the legal capacity.
Additionally, the legislation was accompanied by a government commitment to invest $250 million over 5 years to support anti-gang programming and prevention programs for at-risk youth.
It is important to note that this remains just an early look at the Bill. It is a complex piece of legislation that will have far-reaching implications for firearms laws and regulations. OFAH staff has already begun a deep dive through the Bill, will participate in a government briefing on Feb. 17, and participate fully in the parliamentary process for C-21 as it unfolds. Additional information and updates on this will be provided as we unpack what this Bill means for firearms owners.
Stay connected through www.ofah.org/enews.
Additional resources:
OFAH Firearms Page: www.ofah.org/firearms
Bill C-21: https://parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/43-2/bill/C-21/first-reading
Public Safety Explanation of Bill C-21: https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/cntrng-crm/frrms/c21-en.aspx#s01
This current Liberal government is the most wasteful, anti-democratic government Canada has ever seen. They are a total disgrace to democracy and the will of the people who put them in power AND PAYS THEM. An absolute disgrace and obviously with Communist intent. They MUST GO, and citizens must be awakened, if they haven’t yet. HE (God) shall have dominion from sea to sea…!!!
I am terribly upset with this new Bill C21. I find it again just another attack on the firearms owners and will do nothing to address the real problem of GUN violence. The government knows the problem and still fails to take action. Legal gun owners are not the problem, it is the gangs and drug dealers that get into wars and then the general public get hurt. I really am pissed at that fact that guns can be just deemed unsafe or a MILITARY weapon by some individual that does not really Know much about guns. The Minister (BLAIR) has stated a number of time that HE believes that no one should have a gun, so this in my view is a personal cause of his. In closing I am really upset about this and consider it to be a attach on MY rights as a legal citizen of CANADA.