According to Daniel Fritter, editor of Calibre Magazine, the Canadian government is about to spend more confiscating firearms from licensed citizens than it spends securing the nation’s borders. In a recent video update, Fritter broke down Public Safety Canada’s newly released 2025–2026 Departmental Plan, revealing that a staggering $459.6 million has been budgeted for the so-called Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program. That’s more than what’s currently allocated to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) for border enforcement this year – an eye-opening comparison that raises serious questions about Ottawa’s priorities.
From Transfer Payments to Operating Costs
The Treasury Board’s main estimates originally pegged the gun buyback, officially dubbed a “compensation program”, at $342.6 million. But as Fritter explains, that figure only accounts for grants and contributions, mainly payouts to firearm owners and provincial enforcement partners. It didn’t include the roughly $110 million in operating expenses, now revealed in the Departmental Plan, which cover things like administration, contracting, and oversight. Add it all together, and the total cost for this year alone hits nearly half a billion dollars.
More Than Just Public Safety Involved
Fritter points out that Public Safety Canada isn’t acting alone. No fewer than 11 federal organizations are involved in executing the confiscation program, from the RCMP and the Department of Justice to Cyber Canada and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner. Each agency contributes staff time, infrastructure, and resources, most of which aren’t separately itemized. This makes it impossible to know the true cost of the entire initiative. Conservative projections already push the total figure to at least $516 million, and that’s assuming everything goes smoothly.
Calibre’s Previous Findings Confirmed
This isn’t the first time Fritter has warned about the exploding costs. In a previous Calibre Magazine article, Fritter detailed how the government’s cost-per-gun estimate has become economically unsustainable. And that estimate was before these new departmental budget numbers came out. Now, with even more money on the table, it’s clear the situation is only getting worse.
A Data Gap at the Core
One of the most concerning revelations, according to Fritter, is that the government’s foundational data is flawed. He cites a 2024 internal note to the Minister of Public Safety stating there were only 9,000 firearms affected by the 2020 ban still in business inventories. Yet as of April 2025, the government had already seized 12,000, giving the program an impossible 135% compliance rate. As Fritter says, “That shouldn’t take a rocket scientist to know is an impossibility.” Public Safety Canada later admitted the data is 13 years out of date – meaning even the new budget could be based on bad math.
Gun Owners Aren’t the Problem
Perhaps the most important, and ironic, element of this entire story is that licensed Canadian gun owners are statistically among the least likely to commit a violent crime. Fritter cites Toronto Police and city officials who say over 90% of firearms used in crimes are illegal handguns smuggled from the United States. Yet the federal government is spending as much on confiscating legally owned firearms as it is on the entire national border enforcement apparatus.
What About Canada’s Real Crises?
This is where the story takes a darker turn. Fritter compares the $516 million buyback to the federal public health fund for addiction programs, which only receives a third of that amount. He cites 7,100 Canadians who died of drug poisonings in 2023, over 23 times the number of firearm homicides that same year. “We’re spending three times more seizing guns from people that just take them to the range,” Fritter says. The funding imbalance, when laid out so plainly, is staggering.
A Parallel to the Long Gun Registry
The parallels between the current confiscation scheme and Canada’s infamous Long Gun Registry are impossible to ignore. Fritter reminds viewers that the registry was scrapped after it ballooned beyond its original budget, ultimately costing taxpayers over $2 billion. Now, just five years into the new program, total spending is fast approaching $1 billion, and it hasn’t even fully launched yet. As Fritter puts it, “This is approaching Long Gun Registry levels of excess – and at a much faster rate.”
Public Safety’s Own Report Highlights Other Threats
Ironically, Public Safety Canada’s 2025–2026 Departmental Plan, the very document that outlines the buyback budget, also discusses far more pressing national concerns. The ministers highlight foreign interference, organized crime, disaster preparedness, and the need for frontline law enforcement support. Yet one of the largest single line items in the entire plan is for taking firearms from law-abiding citizens, many of whom have never been charged with any crime.
Spending More Than on 80 Other Programs
According to Fritter’s review of the Treasury Board’s main estimates, the gun compensation program will receive more funding than 80 out of 130 government departments and programs. Ministries focused on women’s issues, fisheries, and even Indigenous community development will all receive less funding than this single Public Safety initiative. For many Canadians, especially those struggling to access healthcare or find stable housing, that’s going to be a hard pill to swallow.
Where Are the Priorities?
It’s hard not to be stunned by the numbers. While every government must balance security and public welfare, this level of spending on a program that targets the least dangerous Canadians, while ignoring border smuggling, addiction, and community policing, feels completely out of touch. If the aim is truly public safety, then the money isn’t going where it’s needed most. That’s not just bad policy – it’s poor governance.
What Comes Next?
Fritter believes the next few months will be critical. As more Canadians become aware of the ballooning costs, pressure will grow on MPs to reevaluate their support for the program. He encourages Canadians to read the Public Safety Departmental Plan, consult the Treasury Board estimates, and share Calibre Magazine’s findings with their elected officials. If the past is any indicator, like with the Long Gun Registry, a reckoning may come – but it’ll be expensive.
Failing the Country’s Budget
Canada is facing serious national challenges – foreign interference, border security, addiction, and housing. But instead of targeting those problems with robust investment, Ottawa appears fixated on confiscating firearms from citizens who’ve broken no law. As Daniel Fritter and Calibre Magazine continue to report, it’s a program that’s not just failing in principle – it’s failing the country’s budget, too.
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, John developed a love for the great outdoors early on. With years of experience as a wilderness guide, he’s navigated rugged terrains and unpredictable weather patterns. John is also an avid hunter and fisherman who believes in sustainable living. His focus on practical survival skills, from building shelters to purifying water, reflects his passion for preparedness. When he’s not out in the wild, you can find him sharing his knowledge through writing, hoping to inspire others to embrace self-reliance.