The Liberal government is paying police in Winnipeg and Cape Breton to confiscate legal firearms as part of a crackdown that began five years ago. 

Federal documents obtained by the GunBlog reveal the Liberal government is funding police in Winnipeg ($2.8 million) and Cape Breton ($103,013) through March 2026 to assist with the confiscation of legal firearms.

They also allocated $10.7 million to 117 for-profit organizations for confiscation efforts. The total number of municipalities, police forces, and businesses receiving taxpayer funds for these crackdowns across Canada is unknown.

The move risks diverting resources from fighting violent crime, according to the GunBlog. "Sending police to go after honest citizens means robbers, rapists, kidnappers and carjackers will have greater freedom to do their work, assisting Liberal policies that promote violent crime."

Facing opposition from hunting and sports shooting groups, former public safety minister Dominic LeBlanc delayed the mandatory firearm "buyback" program from its original October 2023 launch to October 30, 2025.

A 2023 Public Safety report indicated that most legal gun owners consider the federal policy to confiscate firearms a wasteful measure that fails to address illicit gun crime, which they believe is primarily committed by gangs and organized crime, not themselves. 

The report also indicated declining willingness among owners of prohibited firearms to participate in a "buyback" program.

Many officers personally own firearms, as well, and will be tasked with seizing property from their communities, risking potential anger at law enforcement.

Despite significant opposition and logistical hurdles causing missed targets, the Liberal government is moving forward with phase one of the "buyback" confiscation program.

Police grants expiring in March 2026 suggest the government has likely moved past its October 2025 deadline for firearm amnesty, according to the GunBlog. There is no indication that gun owners intend to surrender their firearms.

Records show only a small fraction of firearms blacklisted by cabinet have been recovered, according to Blacklock’s.

Public Safety Canada spent $51.6 million on the ban (2021-2023), with costs to surpass an estimated $88.5 million through March, without any firearms confiscated yet, and is seeking more funding. 

The $88.5 million sum excludes the initial 11 months. RCMP spending on the ban is $13.4 million, raising total projections to $101.9 million. 

The May 2020 ban affected over 1,500 models, leaving retailers with inventory. That has increased to roughly 2,500 rifle and shotgun models in the past five years. 

The RCMP reported 2,123 blacklisted firearms, with 723 surrendered and another third seized. Conservative MP Shannon Stubbs requested the figures after the 2020 Order in Council prohibited hundreds of thousands of high-powered firearms. 

Estimates of affected firearms ranged from 110,161 to 518,000, reported Blacklock’s. 

Budget 2024 allocated $30.4 million, though the program required $36.9 million last fiscal year. $23.2 million would fund the Assault Style Firearms Compensation Program (ASFCP), with $13.7 million for grants to collect and destroy business-owned firearms and establish compensation.

The ASFCP marks a significant budget increase for Public Safety. Phase one, targeting businesses, will see confiscation this fall. Canada Post can now transport and store prohibited firearms. 

LeBlanc's department previously assessed fraud risks, hiring auditors over concerns about potential waste. It aims to compensate owners, with estimated costs ranging from $300 million to billions of dollars.

A previous estimate suggested $1,300 per firearm, depending on the number surrendered. Analysts noted a similar, costly New Zealand program lacked data on its effectiveness. 

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