Gun control advocates in Quebec are raising a critical alarm about a potential flaw in Canada's newly launched national program to buy back prohibited assault-style firearms. While they hail the initiative as a victory for public safety, they warn it could be rendered ineffective and a waste of taxpayer money unless the government acts swiftly to close a dangerous loophole.
The Core Warning: A Self-Defeating Cycle
The central concern, voiced forcefully by the group PolySeSouvient, is that the financial compensation provided to gun owners for surrendering their prohibited weapons could be used to purchase new, similarly dangerous firearms that remain on the market. Heidi Rathjen, coordinator of PolySeSouvient, stated the group's position clearly: "PolySeSouvient warns that the buyback will be a failure and waste of taxpayers’ money if the federal government fails to immediately end the sale of new models of SKS semi-automatic rifles." The goal, she emphasized, is to ensure gun owners cannot use the buyback compensation to simply acquire a new assault weapon.
The voluntary Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program was officially announced on Saturday, January 18, 2025, by federal Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree, Quebec Public Security Minister Ian Lafrenière, and Nathalie Provost, a survivor of the Polytechnique massacre and now secretary of state for nature. The program is set to launch on Monday, January 20, with eligible firearms owners having until March 31, 2025, to submit a declaration.
Rooted in Tragedy and Expert Advice
The advocacy push is deeply personal for many involved. Both Rathjen and Provost are survivors of the December 6, 1989, Polytechnique massacre, where 14 women were murdered. Their warning aligns directly with a key recommendation from the Expert Advisory Panel on Firearms, which was mandated by Public Safety Canada. In its final report issued in January 2025, the panel highlighted the SKS semi-automatic rifle, noting that newer models have been upgraded by manufacturers to possess characteristics identical to currently prohibited weapons.
The panel specifically pointed to models like the Kodiak Defence Scorpio SKS-15, a firearm that has frequently been linked to mass shootings and attacks on police officers. Advocates argue that these weapons, designed for military use with rapid rates of fire and self-loading mechanisms, pose an unacceptable public safety risk and have no legitimate place in civilian hands for hunting or sport.
A Unified Call for Immediate Action
The coalition of advocates, which includes survivors and family members from multiple Canadian tragedies, as well as physician, student, and women's groups, sees the buyback as a direct response to the Mass Casualty Commission inquiry into the 2020 Nova Scotia shooting that claimed 22 lives. The commission called for a prohibition on these weapons and rapid action to reduce their numbers.
Boufeldja Benabdallah, co-founder of the Quebec City mosque targeted in a fatal January 29, 2017, mass shooting that killed six and wounded 19, called the buyback launch "a crucial investment in the safety of Canadians." He urged Minister Anandasangaree to "act on the findings of the expert panel and put an end to the sales of SKS rifles before financial compensation is paid."
The groups insist that for the program to truly succeed in making Canada safer, the government must implement a crucial sequence: first, halt all sales of new semi-automatic assault-style weapons; only then, begin issuing compensation payments to gun owners. Without this critical step, they fear the well-intentioned buyback could inadvertently fuel the very problem it seeks to solve.
