Ontario firearms owners deserve clear answers from the Chief Firearms Office, not a patchwork of uncertainty
Oshawa, Ontario. May 14, 2026: The Canadian Shooting Sports Association is calling on Ontario firearms owners, hunters, sport shooters, collectors, ranges, clubs, and supporters of lawful firearms ownership to sign and circulate a petition advanced by Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Bobbi Ann Brady. [Download the Petition]
The petition calls on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to direct the Ontario Chief Firearms Office to answer whether firearms licences will be revoked for owners who do not participate in the federal confiscation program.
It also calls on the Ontario government to enact policy that protects law-abiding gun owners in a province-wide manner, similar to Saskatchewan and Alberta.
CSSA says the petition addresses a serious and immediate problem: Ontario firearms owners are being left in uncertainty.
The federal government has enacted a compulsory confiscation initiative for all firearms prohibited by the Liberal government’s May 1, 2020, Order in Council and subsequent RCMP additions the list.
According to the petition, many law enforcement agencies will not assist the federal government’s confiscation scheme, but not all police forces in Ontario are refusing to participate.
That leaves lawful firearms owners facing a patchwork of enforcement depending on where they live.
“Ontario firearms owners deserve one clear provincial answer, not fifty different local interpretations,” said Tony Bernardo, CSSA Executive Director. “These are licensed, vetted, law-abiding Canadians. They should not be forced to live under bureaucratic uncertainty while the Ontario Chief Firearms Office refuses to answer a simple question.”
Will Ontario’s Chief Firearms Office revoke firearms licences from lawful owners who do not participate in the federal confiscation program?
CSSA says political weasel words from the Chief Firearms Office is unacceptable.
“Refusing to answer a direct question does not make the problem go away,” said Bernardo. “It leaves responsible firearms owners guessing about their property, their licences, and their legal standing. That’s no way to govern.”
CSSA supports the petition’s call for Ontario to move beyond vague assurances and establish province-wide protection for lawful firearms owners.
A responsible Ontario policy should do three things:
- Require the Ontario Chief Firearms Office to publicly answer the licence revocation question.
- End the patchwork approach that leaves firearms owners treated differently depending on where they live.
- Protect law-abiding firearms owners in Ontario with the same seriousness already shown by Saskatchewan and Alberta.
CSSA says Ontario should focus public safety efforts where they belong: violent criminals, illegal firearms trafficking, repeat offenders, and the smuggling networks that put guns into the hands of dangerous people.
Punishing licensed owners does not stop criminal violence.
Confusing lawful owners does not make communities safer.
Leaving citizens in the dark does not build trust.
“Law-abiding firearms owners followed the rules,” said Tony Bernardo. “They passed the background checks. They complied with storage, transport, and licensing requirements. They should not be treated like political targets because Ottawa chose confiscation over criminal enforcement.”
CSSA is urging Ontarians to sign MPP Brady’s petition and contact their local MPP to demand a clear provincial policy that protects lawful firearms owners.
Ontario does not need more silence.
Ontario needs clarity.
Ontario needs consistency.
Ontario needs a policy that protects the people who already obey the law.
About the Canadian Shooting Sports Association
The Canadian Shooting Sports Association works to preserve, promote, and protect the lawful use and ownership of firearms in Canada. CSSA advocates for responsible firearms owners, sport shooters, hunters, collectors, ranges, clubs, and public policy that targets criminals instead of punishing the law-abiding.
Media Contact
Tony Bernardo
Executive Director
Canadian Shooting Sports Association
1-905-999-4337
abernardo343@rogers.com
https://cssa-cila.org
