Manitoba joins lengthy list of jurisdictions rejecting federal gun confiscation

Manitoba is taking a stand against the Liberal government’s gun grab, with Justice Minister Matt Wiebe publicly announcing the province will refuse to administer Ottawa’s firearm confiscation program.

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Manitoba is taking a stand against the Liberal government’s gun grab, with Justice Minister Matt Wiebe publicly announcing the province will refuse to administer Ottawa’s firearm confiscation program.

Manitoba has stated it will not implement the federal Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program. In a letter issued on Tuesday, Wiebe outlined the province’s decision, pointing to the considerable costs, administrative workload, and the belief that the program misdirects public safety resources.

“We have expressed our concerns regarding the cost and administrative burden of the ASFCP and believe these resources would be better directed towards frontline policing,” Wiebe wrote.

Wiebe also noted that Manitoba does not dispute Ottawa’s jurisdiction over firearms, but made clear the province will not take on responsibility for implementing the program.

“Legal ownership of firearms in Canada falls under federal jurisdiction and Manitoba will not administer the federal government’s ASFCP,” he wrote.

The letter states that Premier Wab Kinew is one of the many legal firearm owners under attack.

“Premier Kinew is a gun owner and understands the many legal, legitimate uses of firearms,” reads the letter. “Our government will always respect law-abiding firearm owners.”

“Our government remains committed to defending law-abiding citizens while continuing to address crime and its root causes in Manitoba,” concluded the letter.

While Wiebe’s letter referred to the Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program, the name of the program is misleading.

Rod Giltaca, CEO of the Canadian Coalition for Firearms Rights, previously told True North that the program would not remove any assault rifles.

“There were no ‘assault weapons’ banned since May 1, 2020. Every one of these firearms were for hunting and or sport shooting. That’s why they were legal in the first place,” said Giltaca. “The lies of these people are outrageous.”

Manitoba’s refusal adds to growing provincial and municipal resistance to Ottawa’s confiscation program, which was introduced through an order-in-council in 2020 and has since expanded to prohibit more than 2,500 previously legal firearm models.

True North has previously reported that the federal government has repeatedly struggled to implement the program, extending its amnesty multiple times amid low participation. The current amnesty is set to expire on Oct. 30, 2026, after three extensions in five years. The program has an estimated cost of nearly $2 billion.

A federal pilot project in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, highlighted these challenges. The six-week pilot resulted in the collection of just 25 firearms, at an estimated cost of nearly $7,000 per firearm.

Despite those results, Ottawa has continued funding the program and recently gave Quebec a $12.4 million taxpayer handout to continue the confiscation scheme.

“The Carney Liberals need to abandon this program and realize what a damaging mistake this was on every level,” said Giltaca. “It’s unsurprising that bureaucracies and services in Quebec are in favour of helping the federal government confiscate firearms from licensed individuals, as this has been the epicentre of radical and unreasonable gun control in Canada for decades.”

Manitoba’s decision mirrors actions taken by other provinces and municipalities. Alberta invoked its Sovereignty Act to block enforcement, Saskatchewan amended its firearms legislation to protect owners from uncompensated seizures, and Charlottetown city council unanimously rejected participation in the program.

The federal government has maintained that participation in the compensation program is “voluntary,” although firearm owners who retain prohibited firearms after the amnesty expires face up to five years in prison under the Criminal Code.