In early April 2023, the province announced that the Alberta Firearms Act had been utilized for the first time. According to the province, thus far in 2023, it has been utilized twice.

The Firearms Act, also known as Bill 8, which received royal assent in late March was meant to, 'clarify the role of the Chief Firearms Officer (CFO) within provincial legislation to provide the CFO with a stronger, clearer role and require the CFO to issue an annual report to enhance public accountability.'

Then Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Tyler Shandro, said that the Act would be the most comprehensive provincial firearms framework in the country.

"By establishing in legislation the role of Alberta Chief Firearms Officer, this legislation will elevate the responsibilities and legal mandate of the office to the fullest extent of the law. Alberta stands unequivocally with hunters, farmers, sport shooters, and Indigenous peoples, all of whom understand the importance of responsible firearm ownership to Alberta’s heritage and culture.”

Shortly after it received royal assent, the government said that it had indeed been used. In an April 5, 2023 news release, the province said that it was, 'providing clarity to municipalities, police services and police commissions about their responsibility when considering accepting federal funding to enforce a federal firearms confiscation program.'

The government stated that a new regulation restricting municipalities and police from entering into unilateral agreements with the federal government has been created under the Act.

"The regulation requires that municipalities, police services and police commissions receive written approval from Alberta’s minister of Justice and Attorney General before entering into funding agreements or accepting funding from the federal government to take part in the federal firearms confiscation program. This requirement allows the minister of Justice and the Attorney General to review funding agreements and grants to ensure they are consistent with the safe delivery of firearms programming in Alberta."

However, the province added that the regulation does not impact normal police activity, such as having to confiscate a firearm as part of an investigation.

Weeks later, the province announced that the Act was utilized a second time around.

"Alberta will require individuals and organizations employed to confiscate firearms to first be licensed by the province," an April 23 release stated.

According to the government, the action fulfilled a commitment under the Alberta Firearms Act to require individuals or organizations including police officers to first be licensed by the province.

"Despite opposition from provinces and territories to the use of police resources, the federal government is signalling that it is prepared to take front-line police officers off the street to implement the federal firearms confiscation program."

Provincial statistics state that there are 341,988 possession/acquisition licence holders in Alberta, making Albertans the second-highest number of firearms classified as restricted or prohibited by the federal government. 

DiscoverAirdrie requested a comment from the Alberta Chief Firearms Office (CFO) about the Act and if there were other examples of it being used, however, a spokesperson for the Alberta CFO wrote in an email that CFO Teri Bryant was unavailable for an interview. 

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