Saskatchewan Passes Firearms Act in Response to Federal Gun Control Legislation

Minister of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Christine Tell speaks to the media in Regina on Oct. 27, 2021. (Michael Bell/The Canadian Press)

The Saskatchewan government has passed the Saskatchewan Firearms Act (SFA), saying the law intends to protect the rights of firearms owners from federal gun control legislation.

“It is important for Saskatchewan to have its own provincial firearms legislation to ensure the concerns of responsible firearms owners are taken into account,” Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Minister Christine Tell said in a press release on April 6.

“This legislation will create a strong, consistent framework to enhance public safety and support the proud tradition of responsible firearms use and ownership in this province.”

The SFA establishes provincial licensing requirements for “seizure agents involved in firearms expropriation,” oversees “fair compensation for any firearms being seized,” and requires “forensic and ballistic testing of seized firearms,” said the release.

The law also establishes a provincial firearms regulatory system aimed at promoting “the safe and responsible use of firearms.”

The legislation comes in response to the federal gun control legislation, Bill C-21, introduced last October, which aims to reduce gun violence by placing a ban on the purchase, sale, or transfer of certain firearms, including most semi-automatic shotguns and rifles.

Saskatchewan subsequently introduced the SFA in December 2022. Tell said in a statement at the time that the government takes “public safety seriously and support[s] initiatives that reduce the criminal use of firearms, while preventing gang violence and stopping illegal guns from entering our province.”

The Saskatchewan Firearms Office, which received $8.9 million in the 2023–24 budget, will be in charge of administering the SFA. It will also take on the role of prosecuting non-violent provincial firearms offences, according to the April 6 release.

“The Saskatchewan Firearms Act is critical to our work to improve public safety, promote responsible firearms ownership and assist the police in addressing crimes committed with illegal firearms,” Chief Firearms Officer Robert Freberg said.

“This legislation, and the significant funding we have received in this year’s provincial budget, will be put to good use as we continue to develop the Saskatchewan Firearms Office.”

Bill C-21 is currently being studied by the House committee on public safety.