The Prairie provinces are united in opposing amendments to Bill C-21 that the three governments say would affect hundreds of thousands of firearms owners in Western Canada.

Back on Tuesday, the federal government moved to ban hundreds of new models of legally owned firearms and shotguns through a last-minute massaging of Bill C-21, changes that Saskatchewan’s Minister of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety says would criminalize hunters, farmers and target shooters who collectively own hundreds of thousands of firearms that could soon be prohibited. Christine Tell, says, “Saskatchewan will not stand idly by while the federal government yet again attacks law-abiding citizens instead of focusing on crime.”

Manitoba and Alberta echoed Saskatchewan’s sentiments.  Kelvin Goertzen, Minister of Justice and Attorney General for Manitoba, says, “Manitoba’s government stands united with Saskatchewan and Alberta in opposing the federal Liberal government’s confiscation plan.”

Minister of Justice for Alberta Tyler Shandro says, “The federal Liberals claimed that they were never going after hunters, farmers and target shooters – they lied. This is clearly part of a push to ban legal firearms ownership altogether.”