Previously legal AR-15s and other military-styed semi-auto rifles, as well as handguns, are scheduled to be confiscated, or rendered inoperable, by Canada’s government. (Karen Roach/Shutterstock)
September 25, 2025
By David Codrea, Politics Field Editor
“[Alberta Premier] Danielle Smith says all levels of government and police within the province, including RCMP, have been instructed not to participate in Mark Carney's gun confiscation,” the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights (CCFR) summarizes for an “Alberta Next ” Town Hall video posted September 5 to its YouTube channel. Titled “Danielle Smith: Alberta Won't Allow Gun Confiscation,” the summary adds “she'll also close the ‘mail delivery services loophole,’ to stop services like Canada Post from helping the feds, as Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe already has.”
Because of a substantial Canadian readership, and because firearms laws imposed in “our neighbor to the North” are of interest to U.S. gun owners (not the least reason being that there are those who would mandate infringements enacted there on citizens here) I wrote to Premier Smith on behalf of Firearms News via her Press Secretary, Sam Blackett, requesting that she “clarify and expand on some comments she made” at the Town Hall.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith speaking at the Calgary Stampede on July 5th, 2025. She is also the leader of the United Conservative Party. (ollytheoutlier/Shutterstock) That letter follows:
Dear Premier Smith,
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I am writing to you on behalf of Firearms News (previously Shotgun News) a monthly U.S. magazine that has been sold throughout Canada since 1946 and enjoys broad gun owner readership in your province. I am hoping to clarify and expand on some comments you made recently regarding “gun control” and am hopeful you or your designated spokesperson can spare a few moments to answer some questions that are of great interest to our readers and to your gun owning constituents.
In a Lloydmaster Town Hall “Alberta Next” panel you recently participated in on how to protect the province from “Ottawa overreach,” one of the citizens expressed very serious concerns over confiscation of his “legally obtained firearms.” He also expressed the opinion that the government favors criminal rights over the rights of citizens, citing the prosecution of an Ontario homeowner facing “assault” and “assault with a weapon” charges for fighting back with a knife against a home intruder who was armed with a crossbow and on probation when he broke in.
You replied that you’ve told municipalities they don’t have the authority to implement handgun bans, and told the RCMP, sheriffs, and municipal forces they cannot confiscate guns without a permit from the justice minister, and that you “have it on good authority” he will not approve that.
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Is that all that’s standing in the way? What can your government do to further protect gun owners from law enforcement seizures?
And as for the “legal use of firearms” you mentioned your regulation would allow gun owners to “continue to own them, collect them, use them for sport shooting, use them for hunting, and use them for other purposes.” The thing that was not mentioned was “self-defense,” and addressing the citizen’s fears that were highlighted in the crossbow break-in case. What are you empowered to do about that, will you, and how?
What legislation is being proposed to overturn the mail delivery service prohibition on conveying firearms? What can you do? What do you foresee the chances are for any substantive change?
We’ve seen calls for an independence referendum and U.S. President Donald Trump has made suggestions concerning Alberta becoming a 51st state, which we understand you do not support. Noting much of the separatist impetus is economics and pipeline-based, do you also see similar and growing anger from gun owners in the province with the federal government over Canada’s gun laws, and what do you believe needs to be done to quell their resentments?
I appreciate you taking the time to read through this and thank you in advance for sharing your thoughts on this important subject.
Thank you for your interest and consideration,
Reference: “Danielle Smith: Alberta Won't Allow Gun Confiscation” (the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights):
“I can respond on behalf of the Ministry of Justice,” Heather Jenkins, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Justice, replied. “Firearms fall under us. You can use this statement, attributed to me if needed.”
Her complete response is as follows:
Alberta believes in a principled and informed approach to firearms policy that preserves public safety and recognizes the major responsibility of owning a firearm.
Albertans and Canadians are rightfully concerned that attacking law-abiding gun owners does not address the spike in gun crime under the federal Liberal government. We oppose any policy that undermines law-abiding firearm owners including ineffective gun-buy back programs that do not combat criminal usage of firearms and is one of the federal Liberal government’s largest expenses on public safety costing approximately $459.8 million over the next fiscal year alone.
Alberta’s government is exploring various options with provincial, territorial, and federal counterparts and external stakeholders to protect law-abiding firearms owners from federal overreach.
“Here is an article on Canadian gun ownership that I wrote years ago, of course things got worse, Firearms News Editor-in-Chief Vince DeNiro emailed me, sending a link to his Firearms News article Who Will Save Canadian Gun Rights ? to help give background to the issue.
“Maybe something will happen this time… If Alberta was to succeed and even turned the clock back to what their gun ownership was in 2019, living in Alberta would be much better than at least a dozen US states in many ways as far as what one could own,” DeNiro elaborated. It would be great to see a campaign whereby Canadian gun owners, in the western provinces, would fire their now ‘prohibited’ guns, on ranges and private property, in defiance of their tyrannical gun laws on December 15th, which is our Bill of Rights Day. Many Canadians are talking about our Founding history and want our Bill of Rights incorporated there.
“Prohibitive status on a gun means you can only store it at home and can no longer take it to a range – it is usually also subject to future confiscation or deactivation – hundreds of FALs and AUGs, etc. have been stored away in gun safes for decades by Canadian gun owners, DeNiro added for background information. “Restricted status means it can only be fired at a range sanctioned by the government for restricted guns (you can’t even shoot a restricted gun on your own rural property). Non-restricted status (hunting or target guns) means it can be fired on public ranges or private property.”
While the government response to the specific questions asked was general, knowing that it was an official position speaking from a perspective of preserving and expanding rights is a huge step that can’t be underplayed. What Alberta will (and can) do remains to be seen, and Firearms News will continue to monitor The Canadian Coalition for Firearms Rights’ website (FirearmRights.ca ) to keep apprised of developments.
About the Author David Codrea is the winner of multiple journalist awards for investigating/defending the RKBA and a long-time gun owner rights advocate who defiantly challenges the folly of citizen disarmament. In addition to being a regular featured contributor for Firearms News and AmmoLand Shooting Sports News , he blogs at “The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance,” and posts on Twitter: @dcodrea and Facebook.
