Poll shows Ontarians support legislation blocking Ottawa's gun confiscation
· Toronto Sun
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OTTAWA — It’s time for Queen’s Park to holster Canada’s gun grab.
That’s the message the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) is sending to Ontario Premier Doug Ford after a late-May Leger poll showed that more than half of respondents with an opinion were in favour of the Ontario government passing legislation to block the federal government’s beleaguered gun “buyback” program, following similar legislation tabled and adopted in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
In the poll, 56% of respondents were in favour of the legislation, while 44% were against it.
“The results of this poll are crystal clear: Ontarians want Ford to block the gun grab in Ontario,” the CTF’s Prairie Director Gage Haubrich told the Toronto Sun.
“Ontarians know that this wasteful and ineffective gun grab won’t make anyone safer. Law enforcement experts across Ontario are saying the same thing, and Ford himself has said that the gun ban will be ineffective.”
Support for blocking gun grab highest outside of GTA
Support for blocking the gun grab was muted within the GTA, with a slim majority rejecting such legislation, Outside the GTA, however, 62% were in favour, compared to 38% who were not.
As well, Ontarians over the age of 55 were more likely to support legislation blocking the confiscation.
Using legislation to block the gun grab is a cause long supported by the CTF, who in April called on Premier Ford to block the program from Ontario.
Support for the “buyback” program is thin among Canadian police agencies, including the Ontario Provincial Police — which is responsible for policing roughly one-quarter of Ontario.
Other agencies that have gone on record saying they do not intend to take part in the program include Toronto Police Service, as well as police services in Durham, Hamilton, Ottawa and Halton.
Cape Breton pilot confiscated 25 guns
The 2025 budget saw the federal government set aside $742 million to fund the confiscation program, but many observers say the gun grab’s final cost could reach into the billions.
Last fall, a six-week pilot project in Cape Breton saw a total of 25 guns handed in by 16 people , with the government paying out $26,535 in compensation —an average of $1,658.44 per firearm. That was enough for advocates to brand the program a failure before it even began.
“The pilot, which was an optional step leading up to the nationwide launch, allowed us to identify any gaps or challenges in the system and ensure the program is operating smoothly before being opened nationwide,” Public Safety Canada told the Toronto Sun earlier this year.
Federation Ontario Director Noah Jarvis told the Sun the federal government’s plans will do little more than cost taxpayers money while keeping the streets unsafe.
“Ford can take the next step to protect legal firearm owners by passing a law to block the federal government’s gun grab,” he said.