David Hicks has been attempting to part ways with his father’s rifle — yet he has encountered difficulties communicating this to the federal government.
“It’s incredibly frustrating,” remarked the man from Ottawa. “If they are going to do this, they should do it correctly.”
As the executor of his father’s estate, Hicks has been trying to register the semi-automatic weapon he inherited under the Liberal government’s compensation program for banned firearms. His goal is to comply with the law and secure some financial support for his widowed mother.
Hicks mentioned that he reached out as soon as the program began in January and has followed up several times over the past two months, receiving minimal feedback. Initially, he was informed that as the estate’s executor, he needed to follow a different procedure and would receive a response within 10 business days — a timeframe that has since passed without any communication.
David Hicks attempts to reach the Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program call center. (Ashely Burke/CBC)
“Eventually, someone did get in touch with me and indicated they would send paperwork for me to fill out in order to register for the program. That was over a month ago, and nothing has arrived,” Hicks stated.
As he awaited a response, the deadline to declare participation passed. Owners of any of the 2,500 banned models had until March 31 to sign up for compensation.
“It seems absurd that they established this program, aiming to remove these items from the streets. Here I am, ready and willing to take part,” he expressed.
“I have made countless attempts. I’ve consulted many individuals, spoken with my MP, and now I find myself here, the day after the program’s conclusion, with no progress.”
Participation numbers fall short of projections
Hicks’s frustrations are not isolated; the program has faced widespread criticism, experiencing low participation levels, opposition from gun owners and provincial governments, and some law enforcement agencies opting out.
The office of the federal public safety minister reported that over 67,000 assault-style firearms have been declared by 37,869 firearm owners throughout Canada.
This figure is just shy of half of the 136,000 firearms the government had anticipated when allocating $248.6 million for the program. The exact number of banned firearms in Canada remains uncertain following the termination of the long-gun registry in 2012.
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PolySeSouvient, the nation’s most prominent gun control advocacy group, labeled the participation rate “disappointing but not catastrophic.”
“This situation could be viewed as a ‘half-empty, half-full’ perspective regarding the buyback initiative,” the group stated.
“It can be inferred that roughly half of the owners of prohibited firearms have disregarded the calls from the gun lobby. Those who do claim compensation will be from this group, while the other half will not.”
The federal government reports that they acquired 67,000 banned assault-style firearms by the declaration deadline, which is about half of the expected total.
The ban and buyback initiative have been central to the Liberal government’s public safety policy, initially under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and currently under Prime Minister Mark Carney. The administration has consistently maintained that the banned firearms are intended for military conflict, not civilian use.
However, the policy does not enjoy widespread backing.
While organizations such as PolySeSouvient generally endorse it, it has faced backlash from a variety of gun owners — including hunters and sport shooters — as well as the Conservative Opposition, who argue that the approach penalizes law-abiding citizens rather than targeting criminals.
On the deadline day, Liberal MP Nathalie Provost — a survivor of the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre and a noted advocate for gun control — attributed the low declaration numbers to the influence of the gun lobby and the Conservative Party.
She accused them of creating confusion.
“This is a significant issue,” she stated. “Individuals who would have liked to register are not doing so because they are confused.”
Tracey Wilson, vice-president of public relations for the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights, criticized the Liberals for blaming others for their unsuccessful programs.
She asserted that the low participation indicates that gun owners are rejecting the program, not merely confused by it.
“I believe the Liberals need to reevaluate their program and understand why it has failed,” she said.
Challenges ahead for the collection phase
The federal government shows no indication of reassessing the program and is instead proceeding to the collection phase.
Public Safety Canada announced it will review the declarations this month and provide instructions for participants on how to schedule appointments to surrender their firearms in exchange for compensation.
The collection phase, expected to take place from spring to early fall 2026, faces challenges due to a lack of support from various local police forces and strong opposition in certain provinces, raising doubts about whether it will achieve the government’s objective of eliminating assault-style firearms in Canada.
Public Safety confirmed that mobile collection units, staffed by the RCMP, will be sent to areas without local participation.
Premiers from Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, and Yukon have all opted out of the program.
Governments in Alberta and Saskatchewan have taken further steps by establishing legislative obstacles that effectively prevent Ottawa from collecting firearms in those two Prairie provinces.
Federal Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree termed their actions “regrettable.”
“This means that law-abiding citizens who have enrolled in the program will unfortunately not qualify for compensation,” he stated.
Supreme Court to review ban challenge
In a statement, the public safety minister’s office cautioned that “participation in the compensation program is voluntary, but adherence to the law is mandatory.”
Individuals who have not declared their prohibited firearms must dispose of or permanently deactivate their weapons by October 30.
Adding to the uncertainty surrounding the buyback implementation is the Supreme Court’s recent decision to hear challenges to the policy, including those from Wilson’s organization.
No date for the hearing has been established yet.
Wilson indicated that her group intends to seek an injunction to extend the amnesty period until a ruling is made by the Supreme Court justices.
The office of Anandasangaree noted that it will still process declarations for owners who initiated a case but encountered technical issues.
Hicks is hoping for that last-minute chance.
“Fingers crossed,” he said. “Up until now, I have had no success.”
