Canada’s federal government has launched a sweeping firearms compensation program encouraging gun owners to hand over or deactivate newly prohibited firearms — but the so-called voluntary initiative comes with a catch.
Under the Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program, owners can receive payment during the amnesty period. Once that window closes, continued possession of banned firearms could trigger criminal penalties.
The program stems from Canada’s ongoing effort to phase out “assault-style” firearms that have been banned under a series of orders-in-council since 2020, following high-profile mass shootings, including the 2020 Nova Scotia attack. More than 2,500 models of firearms are now classified as prohibited, and the government has tied the buyback plan to an expanding nationwide rollout that began with a pilot in Nova Scotia and is slated to open more broadly in 2026.
Under the current legal framework, participation in the buyback itself is voluntary — gun owners may declare their prohibited firearms and turn them in for compensation during the buyback period.
However, Canadian law requires firearms owners to dispose of or deactivate prohibited firearms before the end of the amnesty period, which currently runs through Oct. 30, 2026. If owners fail to do so, simply continuing to possess a prohibited firearm after the deadline would violate the Criminal Code of Canada and could result in criminal charges, fines or even prison time — meaning the program’s “voluntary” surrender option is effectively tied to avoiding legal liability.
Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree and government officials have stressed that the buyback is meant to give firearm owners a choice between compensation or legal disposal to comply with the prohibition law, while critics argue that calling it “voluntary” is misleading since non-participation leaves owners vulnerable to prosecution.
The Daily Wire continues with the latest details on the ongoing fallout:
“We’re finding that they’re running into a lot of compliance issues,” Blair Hagen, an executive at Canada’s National Firearms Association, told The Daily Wire. “They have no idea where [the guns are] or who has them. So it’s proving to be a very, very difficult situation for the government.”
Due to the scope of the program, the government has extended amnesty three times for ownership of one of the thousands of banned so-called “assault-style” guns, with the latest one set to expire in October 2026.
An order in council rolled out by then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in May 2020 banned thousands of “assault weapons” and claimed to offer compensation to those who voluntarily turn in their weapons. According to Hagen, an order in council is a “non-democratic legal instrument” where the Canadian government can ban items like guns “without having to take legislation through parliament.”
The pilot phase in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, reported limited participation, with officials saying only 16 people turned in 25 banned firearms in a small-scale test, underscoring challenges ahead in a broader national rollout.
The initiative stands as one of the most aggressive gun compliance programs Canada has ever enacted — and critics say its blend of cash incentives and looming criminal penalties raises a simple question: how “voluntary” is it really for lawful gun owners?
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The Canadians have become full blown communist!
When will liberals learn that it is not the law-abiding gun owners who cause crime, but the criminals who cause crime. Focus on the criminals, not the law-abiding folks.
There’s an old saying that if guns are outlawed, then only outlaws will have guns. I guess if I had the misfortune to live in Canada I’d be an outlaw.
Words mean something. I guess “Voluntary” means something different in Canadian English, than it does in American English. In American English it means “it’s your choice”. In Canada I guess it means, your choice to be fined, jailed, or both, if you make the “wrong” choice? “Voluntary” my Butt Cheek. What did Orwell call it, “New Speak?”
Like “I’ve got an AR-15.” The government says, “We’ll give you $500 for it.” Me, “Sorry, nothing less than $5000 for it.” Government says, “No deal.”, as they slap the cuffs on you. Buy back, sure on their terms. The government makes it legalized theft, don’t they?