A pair of Alberta ministers are criticizing a federal volunteer firearm buyback program.

On Tuesday, the federal government announced it was moving forward with its voluntary Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program (ASFCP) for individual firearms owners, starting with a pilot in Nova Scotia.

According to a release, the compensation program will then open to all eligible firearms owners with a nation-wide declaration period later in fall 2025, followed by a collection and compensation period in 2026.

The "small-scale" pilot for individual firearms owners will begin in Cape Breton, N.S. and run for six weeks, "to test program elements while collecting an initial 200 assault-style firearms."

In early 2026, firearms owners whose declarations have been approved will then finalize their

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