As Ottawa prepares to roll out the next phase of its national gun buyback program, one of Canada’s leading gun-control groups says the effort will fail unless the semi-automatic SKS rifle is added to the list of banned firearms.
Since May 2020, the federal government has prohibited roughly 2,500 types of weapons it describes as “assault-style,” arguing they belong on the battlefield, not in hunting cabins or at firing ranges. The buyback is designed to provide fair compensation to owners turning in those guns. But critics say leaving the SKS off the list creates a dangerous loophole.
PolySeSouvient, formed in the aftermath of the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre, issued a blunt warning: “As long as the SKS is not prohibited, Canada lacks a ban on assault-style weapons.” The group called for an immediate halt to new sales, the removal of modern assault-style versions from circulation, and a voluntary buyback of older models.
The SKS is one of Canada’s most widely owned rifles, often used in Indigenous communities for hunting. Yet it has also been linked to several police killings and high-profile shootings. Advocates argue that leaving it available will undermine the entire purpose of the buyback, flooding the market with replacements for guns already outlawed.
“Nothing will change in the long run, other than a waste of hundreds of millions of taxpayers’ dollars,” PolySeSouvient said in a statement. “Much of the buyback money will be injected into the gun industry, making manufacturers richer and the gun lobby stronger.”
Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree has said the latest phase of the program—including a Nova Scotia pilot project—will be unveiled this week, with details expected at a Tuesday press conference on Parliament Hill.
For advocates, however, the test of the government’s resolve will be whether Ottawa is willing to confront the SKS—an iconic rifle for some, but a public safety threat for others.