Northern Ontario gun shop owners 'in limbo' waiting for firearm buyback details

As the federal government continues with its plan to roll out a buyback program for prohibited weapons, some Ontario gun shop owners say they still don't have clear idea what's in store for them.

In May, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a ban on all assault-style rifles. That was followed by an announcement that a buyback program would be in place by 2021. According to government's procurement website, the tendering process for its buyback program wrapped up this week.

The third-party consultant selected to run the program is expected to be named in October.

But the long wait for details on the program hasn't made it any easier for hunters, and shop owners who outfit them.

Reg Perry, owner of Perry'sGreat Northern Gun and Bow Shop in Sault Ste. Marie, said the idea of the buyback program is a "pie in the sky" idea.

"They haven't got the money or the people or the facilities to be able to do it," Perry said.

"Meanwhile, we're all sitting with these firearms that they've stuck on this prohibited list...and it's thousands of dollars tied up that, I can't do anything with until they make a big move and actually start the process of buyback."

Some of those firearms include handguns that can cost in the $10,000 range.

"When you look at the .50-calibres that are on that list, well, nobody's ever used one to commit a crime in Canada," Perry said. "They'rean expensive novelty firearm. It's just like owning a Ferrari."

"But I've got two of them sitting here, you know, at $8,000 apiece, that I can't do anything with, and I've got a $5,000 match-grade Springfield upstairs that I can't do anything with. They put all of these firearms basically in limbo right now, just froze them," he said.

But Paul Lefebvre, MP for Sudbury, said it wasn't a tough decision to add assault-style or military-style weapons to the prohibited list.

"Hunting has nothing to do with what we're doing," Lefebvre said. "We're trying to protect Canadians from assault weapons where they are designed to kill human beings very quickly."

Lefebvre, who enjoys hunting with his family, said he understands some gun collectors' concerns, but is more focused on the bigger picture.

"These are toys for some individuals ... but we don't feel that it is necessary in our society," he said.

"I've received a lot of letters from some that own them, and they are upset. But at the same time, I also heard from a lot of Canadians that say, listen, we should try to protect our families as much as we can."

"And certainly these weapons that are out there, that are made to kill quickly and indiscriminately, [are]certainly something that we don't need in our gun racks and we don't need them in our society," Lefebvre said.

The government said it expects to roll out the buyback program in March 2021.

For more information on the guns currently on the prohibited list, and what gun owners can do with those weapons, visit the RCMP web site.