The federal government announced new gun control measures Thursday, adding several hundred models and variants to its list of banned weapons.
“These firearms can no longer be legally used, sold or imported in Canada,” Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc told reporters.
The announcement comes one day before the 35th anniversary of the massacre at École Polytechnique de Montréal. Radio-Canada first reported the news earlier Thursday.
The new measures, which are effective immediately, list more than 300 makes and models of assault-style firearms as prohibited weapons.
There will be an amnesty period until Oct. 30 of next year for current owners to comply with the ban. The new models will be part of the government’s planned buy-back program — the program still has not collected a single gun.
The government also will be implementing measures stemming from Bill C-21, the firearms bill that was adopted in 2023. The government had proposed a more stringent definition of assault-style firearms under that legislation, but dropped a number of amendments to the bill in February in response to a backlash.
A government spokesperson speaking on background said that the new measures apply to some firearms that were included in those initial amendments, while others were left out. Some guns that were not included in the amendments have been included in the new measures, the spokesperson said.
C-21 included provisions to make it easier to revoke licences and take firearms from people who commit violent acts.
Last week, women’s groups and victims’ families questioned the government about some of C-21’s long-awaited measures and why they have not yet been implemented. A government spokesperson said those measures would come into effect in the new year.
On Dec. 6, 1989, 14 women were killed and another 13 were injured at École Polytechnique by a man motivated by hatred of feminists.