FIREARMS FACTS - UPDATE

EIGHT OPT-OUT PROVINCES & TERRITORIES

Updated: October 16, 2002

THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE HAS BEEN FORCED TO TAKE OVER THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE FIREARMS ACT IN: ALBERTA, SASKATCHEWAN, MANITOBA, BRITISH COLUMBIA, NEWFOUNDLAND, YUKON, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES AND NUNAVUT

Report by the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Review of the Personal
Information Handling Practices
of the Canadian Firearms
Program

Department of Justice Canada and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Final Report - August 29, 2001

Privacy Commissioner's Report:

http://www.privcom.gc.ca/information/fr_010813_e.asp

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF PRINCIPAL PARTNERS

Page 11 - There are 6 opt-in provinces that administer the Firearms Program themselves and 7 opt-out provinces and territories where the Federal Government administers the Program. The opt-in provinces are British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. At the time of our review, DOJ directly ran the Program in Newfoundland and the Yukon, while the RCMP ran the remaining opt-out jurisdictions in the Northwest Region under contract for DOJ (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut)

In March 2001 the management of the Firearms Program in the Northwest Region was transferred from the RCMP to DOJ. All civilian employees were offered deployments from the RCMP to DOJ and RCMP members were offered secondments. Six provinces and territories (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, the Yukon, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories) were combined to form the Northwest Region headed by the Federal Chief Firearms Officer (FCFO). The entire Northwest Region is now managed and administered by DOJ. As well, the CFO site in Newfoundland continues to be administered by DOJ.

Plus #1: BC opted-out effective March 31, 2002.

Plus #2: Ontario is only helping the Liberals implement firearms licencing.

Plus #3: Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta are refusing to enforce the Firearms Act.

Plus #4: The Territory of Nunavut has launched a court challenge of the Firearms Act.