Canadians with valid firearms licences can now purchase a long-gun without registering it. In addition, previous records from every province except Quebec will be destroyed. The Quebec government filed an appeal to block the destruction of its records.
Getting rid of the registry was one of the issues Prince George-Peace River MP Bob Zimmer campaigned on, and he says it's been a long time coming.
"Being the MP, it's been the issue I'm asked about and it's nice to say, 'promise made, promise kept'," he says. "It should be good for law-abiding gun owners and good news for northeastern B.C. and Canada."
He adds this will be a huge money saver, as the registry was unable to help prevent crime, and the money can be put to better use. Zimmer starting calling gun shops in his riding when he got the news, including Backcountry in Fort St. John. Less than an hour after the law was passed, the store sold its first non-registered non-restricted firearm in over a decade and a half.
Twitter