Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says the federal government is "looking at a variety of options" to carry out a planned buyback of banned firearms — including enlisting outside help.
Canadian police chiefs have urged the Liberal government not to rely on resource-strapped police forces to deliver the coming gun buyback.
In May 2020, the government announced a ban through order-in-council on over 1,500 models and variants of what it considers assault-style firearms, such as the AR-15 and the Ruger Mini-14.
It said those guns were designed to kill people and had no place in hunting or sport shooting.
The proposed buyback program would require owners to either sell these firearms to the government or have them rendered inoperable at federal expense.
In an interview, Mendicino says the program will involve police, but adds Ottawa is also working with other levels of government, industry leaders and "potential third parties."