RCMP asks reservists to aid federal gun confiscation efforts: report

Alex Dhaliwal
  |   August 01, 2024   |   Be the first to comment

The RCMP are asking reservists to aid the Government of Canada in confiscating firearms, first reported TheGunBlog.ca, a firearms blog.

The RCMP Reserve Program this month contacted members in New Brunswick, its “J Division,” to join confiscations targeting licenced holders. 

“The J Division Reservists are crucial to the success of this program, please take the time to consider your participation and commitment to this RCMP public safety priority,” Allen Farrah, the RCMP Reserve Program’s New Brunswick coordinator for the confiscations, said in an email to reservists, obtained by the blog.

The RCMP referred to the cabinet blacklist as the “Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program.” 

Cabinet in 2020 blacklisted hundreds of thousands of high-powered firearms. Federal consultants counted 110,161 affected by the ban, reported Blacklock’s Reporter. The Department of Public Safety later estimated 200,000 firearms, while the Budget Office put it up to 518,000 firearms.

Although the Trudeau government said they would pay firearm owners who surrender their gear for destruction, no compensation program exists, according to the blog’s chief editor, Nicolas Johnson. 

“The Liberals and RCMP have no idea how to execute their confiscation fantasy,” he said.

Amid the public backlash, says Rod Giltaca, CEO and Executive Director of the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights (CCFR), there is a silver lining. “The good news is they are running out of time,” he said. 

Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc confirmed last December 20 that his government will defer regulation and confiscation of “prohibited” firearms until December 1, 2025. The next general election is slated for next October.

Meanwhile, several retired RCMP members wrote to Johnson, expressing their frustrations. They use “not-so-polite” words to describe their former employer’s involvement.

TheGunBlog.ca emailed multiple requests for information and comment to the RCMP, without any response last week.

“The secrecy of the confiscation effort is frustrating and disappointing to me as a citizen, as a firearm owner, and as the journalist who first reported the RCMP Reserve plan,” the chief editor told Rebel News.

Rebel sent a similar request for details but did not hear at publication.

“If RCMP veterans decide to do this, it will most certainly result in further deterioration of the relationship between good, law-abiding citizens and the RCMP,” Giltaca said.

He pointed to ongoing “administrative challenges” for “security-related aspects” of the program as barriers to overcome. It faced considerable delays owing to Canada Post's refusal to participate last year. 

The RCMP in an Inquiry Of Ministry said it had 2,123 blacklisted firearms. Only 412 were seized under the guise of “public safety” and another 723 were surrendered by owners, reported Blacklock’s Reporter.

“The Liberals are scrambling to execute seizures they’ve been preparing since 2018,” Johnson said. “The Liberal-RCMP crackdown directly targets hundreds of thousands of honest citizens,” he adds.

The Department of Public Safety acknowledged widespread opposition to the program among licensed gun owners, including in New Brunswick, where the police asked for support.

Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who represents a rural New Brunswick riding, said hunting groups and sports shooters in his riding are “quick” to oppose the scheme. 

“Less than half of those owners with prohibited firearms would now willingly participate in a buyback program, a sharp decline over the past year,” said a 2023 report, Buyback Program Awareness Campaign. 

“They have been blocked at every step by massive grassroots and institutional opposition,” Johnson said. 

Alberta and Saskatchewan previously passed laws to block the confiscations, and other provinces also oppose them.

Premier Danielle Smith said her government would not comply with the program. “I wish them continued success at being able to achieve zero compliance,” she said.

Giltaca did not fret over either province. They “will be fine,” he said, noting it’s up to individual firearm owners and businesses whether they participate in the program.

Rebel asked Dr. Teri Bryant, Alberta’s Chief Firearms Officer, if the province could refuse to register federal seizure agents from confiscating ‘prohibited’ firearms. “I don't think we could completely refuse to do that,” she replied. 

Bryant clarified there is "no appetite" from the public or private sector to get involved with federal confiscation efforts. 

Alex Dhaliwal

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Alex Dhaliwal is a Political Science graduate from the University of Calgary. He has actively written on relevant Canadian issues with several prominent interviews under his belt.

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