Firearms classification advisory group expected to hold first meeting later this fall

The Story

An advisory group supporting Ottawa’s federal review of firearms classification—including a look at the SKS rifle—has not yet held its first meeting, but Public Safety Canada says members of the Firearms Classification Technical Advisory Group will be meeting later this fall.

The review has been underway since Ottawa announced it almost a year earlier, as the federal government prepares expert input for the RCMP and the department on how firearms are classified.

The SKS has come under renewed scrutiny in British Columbia after a U.S. court document filed in connection with the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting said the killer discussed having an SKS gun before the attack.

On Feb. 10, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar killed eight people in the Tumbler Ridge attack before taking her own life. The RCMP has declined to release details about which firearms were used, saying its investigation is ongoing.

Federal officials say the classification review is intended to focus on simplicity and consistency. Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said in early December last year that the review would be supported by an expanded advisory group and would include dedicated consultations with First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, including on the SKS, with Indigenous perspectives and traditions built into the process.

Anandasangaree also said the review would take a broad view of the legal framework for firearms, devices, magazines and ammunition to modernize the regime and ensure Canadians’ safety.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has indicated the government would look at the advice provided by the classification advisory group before making a decision on the SKS.

In the meantime, Public Safety says additional information about the Technical Advisory Group and engagement activities related to the classification review will be made available in the near term, and that members will bring diverse technical knowledge and expert views from a wide range of perspectives.

Advocacy groups continue to press for different outcomes. PolySeSouvient has argued for an immediate ban on new sales of the SKS, removal of modern, assault-style versions from circulation and a voluntary buyback of older models, while calling for an exemption for Indigenous hunters who use the SKS primarily for sustenance.

A federal review is also occurring against the backdrop of gun controls introduced in recent years: since May 2020, Ottawa has outlawed approximately 2,500 types of guns on the basis they belong only on the battlefield, and it has not banned the SKS.

In public comments, the PolySeSouvient group said this week that instead of a comprehensive ban on assault-style firearms and high-capacity magazines, the government has continued to announce new consultations and panels, which it said has delayed action.

The Canadian Shooting Sports Association has said on its website that questions remain about the Tumbler Ridge shootings, including which firearms were used, how they were obtained and which—if any—had been seized by police previously, and it argued that reclassifying another firearm would not answer those issues or prove that a ban would have prevented the attack.