New federal rules coming into effect this week regulating the sale and transfer of non-restricted firearms in Canada probably won’t be universally embraced — at least not by critics of the Trudeau government’s overall gun control strategy.
Whether opponents will be able to do anything about the new regulations as long as the Liberals remain in power remains an open question.
What is known is that non-restricted firearm owners in rural Alberta who are interested in selling or transferring their guns to new owners will now need to follow the new regulations or face potentially serious criminal sanctions.
Effective May 18, individuals and businesses transferring or selling non-restricted firearms will need to confirm the recipient’s identity and check the validity of their firearms licence with the Registrar of Firearms prior to completing the transfer, including by providing the recipient’s licence number and any other information requested.
Firearm businesses will also be required to retain sales and inventory records related to non-restricted firearms.
The new regulations will make it easier for police to trace firearms used in criminal offences, leading to a national reduction in gun-related crime, according to the federal minister of Public Safety.
“We are taking action to keep Canadians safe from gun violence,” says Marco Mendicino. “The new regulations will help ensure that firearms do not end up in the wrong hands, assist police in tracing guns used in crime, and are part of the broader strategy to keep communities safe.”
Many rural Albertans, including in this district, lawfully own shotguns and rifles, using the firearms as tools in their farming and ranching operations, as well as for hunting and target shooting.
Effective this week, any of those firearm owners who might be interested in selling or transferring their guns to someone else will need to adhere to the new regulations or face the possibility of criminal charges.
But is anyone convinced that tightening the sale and transfer of non-restricted shotguns and rifles in rural Alberta will lead to much less gun violence in Canada’s big cities?
Dan Singleton is an editor with the Albertan.
