The federal government has announced new details of its buyback program for prohibited assault-style firearms.
Ottawa announced Wednesday it had inked an agreement with the Canadian Sporting Arms and Ammunitions Association (CSAAA), which represents the industry.
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said phase one would involve buying back banned firearms from businesses.
“We’re working with retailers and the government to streamline the process of buying them back,” Mendicino told reporters in Ottawa.
According to the minister, Public Safety Canada and CSAAA have identified 11,000 assault-style firearms, including parts and components, within the existing inventory of firearms vendors.
The first phase of the buyback program involving businesses is expected to begin later this year, said Mendicino.
Phase two will focus on individual firearms owners across Canada, though it is unclear when that will begin.
The Trudeau government announced a ban on more than 1,500 firearm models through an order-in-council in May 2020.
It came in the weeks following the Nova Scotia mass shooting, where a gunman disguised as an RCMP officer killed 22 people during a 13-hour rampage.
“Assault-style firearms were designed for a battlefield and they have no places in our communities, in our places of worship, in our schools or in our playgrounds,” said Mendicino.
“They serve no legitimate purpose other than killing the greatest number of people as quickly as possible. That’s why we banned them.”
In its recent budget, the federal government announced a $29-million investment over five years to help the RCMP and Public Safety Canada develop an IT solution to compensate firearms owners and businesses.
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