REGINA — This week marks two years since the Saskatchewan government officially established the Saskatchewan Firearms Office and took over the provincial firearms program from the federal government.
Since the Saskatchewan Firearms Office was established, it has taken numerous steps to improve firearms safety and promote the perspective of the Saskatchewan firearms community in Canada. This includes:
- conducting public awareness campaigns to promote firearms safety across Saskatchewan;
- helping to establish a Firearms Advisory Committee to provide policy recommendations to government on education, licensing and transportation of firearms, the licensing of firearms ranges, and public safety concerns;
- helping to develop The Saskatchewan Firearms Act, which will allow the Saskatchewan Firearms Office to take on an expanded role in prosecuting non-violent regulatory firearms offenses;
- signing a memorandum of understanding with the Saskatoon Police Service to house the new provincial Firearms Ballistics Lab.
Government has allocated approximately $8.9 million in the 2023-24 budget to support the work it does to reduce the criminal use of firearms and protect the rights of law-abiding gun owners, according to the Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety.
The Saskatchewan Firearms Office has jurisdiction over the licensing, storage, transportation and carrying of firearms. The position of chief firearms officer is also responsible for licensing instructors who provide firearm safety training in the province.
For additional information on the work being done by the Saskatchewan Firearms Office, see:
- https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/news-and-media/2023/april/06/province-passes-saskatchewan- firearms-act
- https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/news-and-media/2023/april/04/government-signs-mou-with- saskatoon-police-service-to-house-ballistics-lab
- https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/news-and-media/2023/march/17/saskatchewan-firearms-office- launches-public-safety-campaign
- https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/news-and-media/2022/december/01/province-introduces-the- saskatchewan-firearms-act
- https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/news-and-media/2022/april/13/firearms-advisory-committee- established
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