The provincial government has introduced additional measures to the Saskatchewan Firearms Act to deal with firearms targeted by federal legislation.

Firearm owners and businesses will be able to apply for a certificate of exemption until fair compensation is provided by the federal government.

Premier Scott Moe made the announcement this morning at the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities annual convention in Regina.

“And what we are going to do is authorize each and every firearm owner across this province to store their own firearms – do the province a favour and actually the federal government a favour – they just don’t realize it yet. So, you can keep your firearms until such time there is actually an assessment made and they can be turned in which is years, and years, and years down the way.”

The Government of Saskatchewan has introduced additional amendments to The Saskatchewan Firearms Act and in the coming weeks, the provincial government will open an online portal to request certificates of exemption for prohibited firearms.

Firearms owners can apply for the certificate of exemption once the legislation passes.

The province, in a news release, says all applications will be reviewed by the Saskatchewan Firearms Office for eligibility and are only available to gun owners who have a valid Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL) or Restricted Possession and Acquisition Licence (RPAL), who are in good standing, pursuing compensation from the federal government, and following all firearms storage laws that pertain to their reclassified firearms.

The government also notes that certificates of exemption do not exempt individuals from facing criminal charges if they commit an offence, use a prohibited firearm, or carelessly store prohibited firearms, and they will only be valid within Saskatchewan’s borders. These amendments will help ensure all Saskatchewan firearms owners and businesses are compensated for their lost property; not just those chosen by the federal government.