Canadian Sporting Arms and Ammunition Association (CSAAA) President Wes Winkel says Canada’s federal firearms buyback program has become “unworkable in every aspect,” with severe underfunding, poor communication, and a lack of cooperation from every part of the process.
In an interview on The Evan Bray Show, Wes Winkel explained that businesses across the country are stuck with millions of dollars in unsellable inventory and mounting storage and insurance costs, while federal funding for compensation falls dramatically short of what’s required. “The program is dramatically underfunded and has unwilling partners at every level – law enforcement, provinces, and firearms owners,” he said. “When you have unwilling partners, you have an unworkable program.”
The numbers say it all. The federal government has allocated just $11 million to compensate businesses, while more than $60 million worth of prohibited firearms remain trapped in dealer inventories. Meanwhile, the list of banned firearms has ballooned from 1,500 to nearly 2,500 makes and models, products that dealers imported legally, with RCMP approval, to replace those prohibited in 2020.
The impact has been devastating. Tens of thousands of jobs have been lost across retail, distribution, and manufacturing, and Canada’s once thriving firearms and outdoor industry has taken a major hit. The sector contributes as much as $10 billion to Canada’s GDP – a figure that surpasses even the economic footprint of ice hockey – making the pullback all the more alarming.
Beyond the financial cost, Wes Winkel says there is no trust between the government and industry. Dealers, uncertain whether they’ll ever see fair compensation, are reluctant to participate at all. “No matter how illogical or unpopular the program is, it’s full steam ahead,” he said. “But the math doesn’t work and neither does the plan.”
He’s urging Ottawa to engage with the people who actually understand the issue like law enforcement, the firearms community, and industry experts rather than building policy based on gaining votes.
Wes Winkel also commends the Saskatchewan government for standing up for property rights and pushing the federal government to properly compensate residents affected by seizures. “The residents of Saskatchewan should applaud their government for that step,” he added.
As the prohibition list grew and funding fails to match the scope of the program, Winkel warns the federal buyback is at risk of total collapse taking with it a vital part of Canada’s economy and outdoor heritage.
