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Canada. 2012 ‘Surplus.’ National Report of Canada on its Implementation of the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (UNPoA) and the International Tracing Instrument (ITI); Section 5, pp. 18-20. New York NY: Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations. 1 January

Relevant contents

Surplus

10.5 In disposing of the surplus stocks, which of the following methods may be used (check relevant boxes)?

a) Destruction: YES
b) Sale to another State: YES
c) Donation to another State: YES
d) Transfer to another state agency: YES
e) Sale to civilians: [No response]
f) Sale or transfer to legal entities (e.g. museums, private security companies, etc.): YES
g) Other: [No response]

Firearms that come under the control of public agents1 (Canada Border Services Agency officers, Natural Resources officers, federal, provincial and municipal police, Fisheries and Oceans officers) through seizure, abandonment or forfeiture are deemed to be protected firearms.1 Public agencies are responsible for managing their protected firearms inventories. Clear requirements for the disposal of surplus firearms are established under the Public Agents Firearms Regulations.

Surplus firearms held by public agencies must be destroyed, with limited exceptions for public purposes (scientific, research or educational purpose, or for preservation as a historical firearm). Public agencies are not permitted to transfer surplus firearms to individuals or businesses pursuant to the Regulations.

Firearms are disposed of by the RCMP or the Chief Firearms Officer2 in the province where they were seized, abandoned or forfeited or, in some instances, public agencies can transfer protected firearms to other public agencies. Some of these firearms are also entered on the RCMP Canadian Integrated Ballistics Identification System (CIBIN) to be checked against unsolved criminal cases.

SALW identified as surplus to the Canadian Armed Forces are either sold to the militaries of allied nations, transferred to approved public agencies or destroyed. Military SALW designated for destruction by Canada's Department of National Defence are destroyed by process of smelting under the supervision of the commanding officer of the Canadian Forces Supply Depot. The smelting of weapons and their repair parts are carried out at local foundries under contract.

Occasionally, small arms or light weapons may be demilitarized and donated to museums.

The RCMP currently destroys all surplus firearms as a matter of policy. A record of all seized firearms that are destroyed is kept and the resulting information is made available to foreign police within the context of specific investigations.

10.6 During the reporting period, has your country destroyed surplus stocks? YES

10.6.1 How many SALW were destroyed? Include details on destruction.

2011
Deemed surplus and destroyed by the Department of National Defence: 3,004
Destroyed pursuant to Canada's Public Agents Firearms Regulations: 29,263

2010
Deemed surplus and destroyed by the Department of National Defence: 8,898
Destroyed pursuant to Canada's Public Agents Firearms Regulations: 26,694

[SALW = Small Arms and Light Weapons; RCMP = Royal Canadian Mounted Police]

ID: Q11003

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