Gun Buyback Pilot in Nova Scotia Netted 25 Outlawed Firearms

A rifle owner checks the sight of his rifle at a hunting camp property in rural Ontario, west of Ottawa, in this file photo. The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick

The Liberal government says it collected 25 prohibited firearms in its gun buyback pilot program, which took place over six weeks in Nova Scotia last fall, falling short of its 200 firearms objective.

Ottawa launched an initial pilot program for its federal gun buyback plan in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, in September 2025. The program aimed to “test the program’s processes and systems” before being launched nationwide. The government had intended to collect 200 guns from licensed owners in Cape Breton, where the local police force had agreed to participate in the program.

Individual licence holders in Cape Breton were notified about how to take part in the pilot program, and various stages of the program were “thoroughly” tested during the pilot, Public Safety Canada said in a report released Jan. 7. The pilot tested the online processes for creating accounts and booking collection appointments, in addition to the processes for validating and destroying firearms, and issuing compensation payments to eligible participants.

“A total of 25 prohibited firearms were collected and destroyed,” Public Safety Canada said in the report.

A spokesperson for the public safety department told The Epoch Times on Jan. 9 that the 25 prohibited firearms were turned in by 16 participants.

“The total compensation paid to pilot participants is $26,535,” the spokesperson said.

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree also announced on Jan. 7 a “financial contribution agreement” that will support the implementation of the firearms buyback program in Quebec.

Public Safety Canada says the program will be open to individual firearms owners across Canada “in the coming weeks,” and firearms owners will be invited to submit a declaration for a compensation claim if they turn in or permanently activate their prohibited firearms.

The federal government will fund up to $12.4 million to cover costs incurred by the province of Quebec for coordinating the collection of firearms by local police services, and aims to support individual firearms owners who wish to participate in the program before the end of the amnesty period on Oct. 30, the department says.

Once the amnesty period ends, those who remain in possession of such prohibited firearms will be considered “non-compliant” with the legislation.

Hunting rifles and shotguns at a gun store in Toronto in a file photo. The Canadian Press/Kevin Frayer

Quebec has maintained its own firearms registry, collecting information on firearms in the province and their owners, which could help the buyback program find more success there.

While Quebec is complying with Ottawa’s buyback program, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and the Yukon have said they are opposed to the program, and the Ontario Provincial Police has said also it won’t take part in the enforcement of the buyback program.

The Conservatives have accused the Liberal government of targeting licensed, law-abiding gun owners with its gun bans in recent years, while ignoring illegally smuggled firearms most often used by criminals. The Liberals have argued that the “assault-style” weapons falling under the ban are “designed for mass casualties.”

The ban on so-called assault-style firearms was first introduced by former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau following the 2020 mass shooting in Nova Scotia, which was carried out using illegally obtained weapons from the United States. Trudeau later announced the ban on the use, sale, and importation of more than 1,500 makes and models of firearms, and the list of banned firearms was subsequently expanded to more than 2,000 types of firearms.

‘Lessons Learned’ From Pilot

Public Safety Canada listed numerous “lessons learned” from the pilot program in Cape Breton in its Jan. 7 report. The department said a “clearer” registration process will help facilitate participation in the buyback program, specifically more detailed instructions when creating an account in the online portal.

The department also said that providing a longer period for firearms owners to declare their firearms would allow more individuals to participate in the program.

Functional gaps in the online portal were also identified, and public safety said the pilot confirmed that “factual, consistent information on how the program works, what individuals can expect if they choose to participate, and legal requirements to comply with the prohibition must be readily available and up-to-date.”

The department says it has clarified instructions, will implement a “significantly longer” declaration period when the program is launched across Canada, improve its online portal, and will support individuals who participate in the program through a dedicated call centre.

Matthew Horwood contributed to this report.