Nova ScotiaPolice in Cape Breton, N.S., and federal government officials say the gun buyback program is already drawing a lot of interest from gun owners, but opponents are planning a show of force hoping the government will reconsider.Police, government officials say program is already drawing interest, but opponents planning show of forceTom Ayers · CBC News · Posted: Oct 01, 2025 6:41 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours agoBuyback pilot for prohibited firearms getting pushbackOpposition is mounting to a federal pilot project that aims to buy prohibited firearms from gun owners. The pilot launched in Cape Breton this week before the program rolls out later this year to the rest of the country. But opponents have organized a rally in Cape Breton in hopes the government will reconsider. Kyle Moore has the story.Opposition is mounting to a federal pilot project that launched Wednesday in Cape Breton, N.S., aimed at buying prohibited assault-style firearms from gun owners.Police and government officials say the buyback program is already drawing interest, but opponents are planning a demonstration in Sydney on Thursday, hoping the government will reconsider the gun ban.”I don’t think that you can just call something assault style, convince the public that it’s scary and then not expect any pushback,” said Anna Manley, one of the rally organizers. “There are [.22-calibre guns] on that list. That is a small entry-level rifle. It is absolutely ridiculous that they’re calling that assault style.”Manley, a Sydney lawyer who ran unsuccessfully for the federal Conservatives in the last election, said banning those guns will not reduce crime.Mark Voutier, a gun owner in Cape Breton, said he’s not happy with the idea, but he will take the federal government’s buyback offer and turn in his banned assault-style rifle.However, he also said the program is not going to have any effect on gun crime and the government is wrong to call it voluntary.Mark Voutier of Cape Breton, N.S., says the federal assault-style gun buyback program does not make sense, but he will comply with the law and plans to use the money to buy another gun. (Tom Ayers/CBC)”It’s not voluntary,” Voutier said last week. “It’s turn it in now for this offer or else.”Voutier legally bought a .22-calibre semi-automatic rifle that holds a magazine with 21 bullets and is now on the federal government’s list of prohibited firearms.He said after the program ends and there are no more buybacks, police will know who still has banned guns, so he may as well comply now and get something for it.”I want to take them up on the offer now, because they’re just going to come and get it eventually anyway.”Besides, he said, anyone found with a banned firearm can lose the gun without compensation and lose their licence and ability to own a gun.’Waste of money’Still, Voutier said the buyback program doesn’t make sense and the federal public safety minister confirmed that in privately recorded comments just before it was announced.”Who [came] up with the value of some of the guns on the list? You know, they’re offering $7,000 for guns that retail for $1,100 is just one prime example.”It’s just a waste of taxpayers’ money. It was so poorly thought through right from the beginning, I think it was just an election promise and that was it.”Voutier said he’ll take advantage of the program to purchase a semi-automatic rifle that only holds 11 bullets instead of 21, but is not prohibited.”There are similar guns that aren’t on the list,” he said. “Almost identical guns. So I’m going to take their money and I’m going to go buy a very similar gun that’s not on the list.”Talal Dakalbab, senior assistant deputy minister of crime prevention for Public Safety Canada, says the government has already changed six entries on the buyback list to get ready for the program launch. (Zoom/CBC)Talal Dakalbab, senior assistant deputy minister for crime prevention with Public Safety Canada, said Wednesday the federal government has already changed six entries on the banned list, citing the $7,000 gun as one example, to get ready for the pilot program launch.He said the values were determined in consultation with gun owners and retailers and he’s confident the list is fair.Dakalbab also said polling shows most people, including gun owners, agree with the ban and buyback program and he’s confident they will work.”Some people have already returned their guns, by the way, without compensation … because they don’t want to have a prohibited gun at home,” he said.The pilot program launched Wednesday in Sydney, North Sydney and Glace Bay, where there are about 200 banned guns. The government expects most if not all will be turned in, Dakalbab said.Buyback voluntary, law is not”I am very confident that the 200 will be collected through the pilot, but that is something that we will have to monitor and see and ensure that if we don’t collect the 200, then we will have to discuss with the people who were contacted to understand better what is their intention to comply with the law before the end of the amnesty order,” Dakalbab said.He also said the buyback during the amnesty period, which expires next year, is voluntary.”Abiding by the law by the end of the amnesty order is not voluntary, it’s mandatory,” Dakalbab said. “But how to dispose of the guns, that’s where it’s optional and the buyback is one option that the government put in place.”He said people can choose to hang onto their guns and pay to have them deactivated.Cape Breton Regional Police Chief Robert Walsh says police headquarters on Grand Lake Road will be closed to the public Thursday due to the rally by opponents of the gun ban and buyback programs. (Kyle Moore/CBC)On Wednesday afternoon, Cape Breton Regional Police Chief Robert Walsh said the buyback program had only been open a few hours and gun owners had already started looking to cash in their prohibited weapons.”We are hearing that there are people that are interested in participating in the collection program and they have already contacted us to make arrangements to dispose of their firearms.”Walsh said the police headquarters on Grand Lake Road will be closed to the public on Thursday because of the rally, but services such as criminal record checks and accident reports could still be taken over the phone.”We did this because we anticipate there could be a large number of people here and we didn’t want to cause any disruption to people that may be coming for those services.”The closure is not out of any concern for safety, he said.Sydney lawyer Anna Manley says opponents are planning a peaceful protest to let police and federal government officials know they want changes to the ban and buyback programs. (Kyle Moore/CBC)Manley said the rally is also being organized by the Port Morien Wildlife Association and will include speakers from the Canadian Coalition for Firearms Rights and the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.She said the protest is simply to let the police and government know they want changes to the ban and buyback program, especially when it comes to guns she said are not assault-style firearms.”We’re there for a very serious reason. It’s very close to a lot of our hearts, but I mean we’re not planning on shaking anything up, or doing anything violent. That’s just not the purpose of this protest.”MORE TOP STORIESABOUT THE AUTHORTom Ayers has been a reporter and editor for 39 years. He has spent the last 21 covering Cape Breton and Nova Scotia stories. You can reach him at tom.ayers@cbc.ca.
Opposition mounts as assault-style gun buyback program launches in Cape Breton
