Facts and Figures (January - March 2011)

Canadian Firearms Program

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• Firearms licensing
• Firearms registration
• Other CFP Performance Information

Firearms Licensing

Firearms Licences

There are currently three types of firearms licences for individuals in Canada: the Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL), the Possession Only Licence (POL) and the Minor’s Licence. Only the PAL and Minor’s Licence are available for new applicants.

• Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL): allows the licence holder to possess and acquire firearms and ammunition.
• Possession Only Licence (POL): allows the licence holder to possess, but not acquire, firearms, and to both possess and acquire ammunition.
• Minor’s Licence: the only licence available to individuals under 18 years of age. It allows the licence holder to use non-restricted firearms for specific activities such as hunting or target practice.

All businesses and organizations that produce, sell, possess, handle, display or store firearms or ammunition are required to have a valid firearms business licence.

Valid Licences as of March 2011

Province/Territory	Possession Licence	Possession and Acquisition Licence	Minor Licence	Total
Alberta	63,292	154,350	1,393	219,035
British Columbia	77,752	141,650	409	219,811
Manitoba	27,810	51,498	290	79,598
New Brunswick	41,818	31,045	117	72,980
Newfoundland and Labrador	28,547	44,142	167	72,856
Northwest Territories	551	4,507	48	5,106
Nova Scotia	41,976	32,067	1,216	75,259
Nunavut	48	2,945	12	3,005
Ontario	198,514	316,346	3,715	518,575
Prince Edward Island	3,409	3,002	18	6,429
Quebec	175,842	319,003	22	494,867
Saskatchewan	31,602	58,249	68	89,919
Yukon	1,112	4,964	47	6,123
Total	692,273	1,163,768	7,522	1,863,563

Licences per 100,000 population

Province/Territory	Licences per 100,000 Population*
Alberta	6,671
British Columbia	5,342
Manitoba	6,940
New Brunswick	10,007
Newfoundland and Labrador	14,414
Northwest Territories	12,314
Nova Scotia	8,239
Nunavut	10,195
Ontario	4,265
Prince Edward Island	4,732
Quebec	6,551
Saskatchewan	9,292
Yukon	20,160
Total	5,895

* Licences per 100,000 population are calculated using Provincial/Territorial populations from 2006 Census

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Number of Licences Issued (including renewals) in the January - March 2011 Period

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Licence Renewal

A firearms licence for an individual is valid for five years, at which point the individual must renew the licence.

Renewal Statistics for Licence Holders who have Registered Firearms

Quarter	Total Number of Licences Set to Expire During the Period	Renewed	Did not Renew	Renewal Rate for Firearm Owners
2008 Q 2	81,816	66,534	15,282	81.3%
2008 Q 3	78,832	61,878	16,954	78.5%
2008 Q 4	71,411	54,032	17,379	75.7%
2009 Q 1	73,261	54,713	18,548	74.7%
2009 Q 2	77,852	58,982	18,870	75.8%
2009 Q 3	76,206	60,138	16,068	78.9%
2009 Q 4	62,618	48,839	13,779	78.0%
2010 Q 1	65,507	50,816	14,691	77.6%
2010 Q 2	66,135	51,395	14,740	77.7%
2010 Q 3	65,391	52,951	12,440	81.0%
2010 Q 4	60,037	53,030	7,007	88.3%
2011 Q 1	51,321	45,796	5,525	89.2%

Safety Training

Firearms safety training is a fundamental element of the Canadian Firearms Program. To obtain a PAL or a Minor’s Licence an applicant must have satisfied the requirements of the Canadian Firearms Safety Course (CFSC). It is also possible in some cases for a PAL applicant to receive alternative certification. To own or acquire restricted firearms, an individual must satisfy the requirements of the Canadian Restricted Firearms Safety Course (CRFSC) or have been alternatively certified, in addition to having satisfied the requirements of the CFSC. These courses help ensure that those who possess and use firearms are fully aware of their responsibility for the safe handling, transport and storage of firearms.

Year	No. of Alternative Certifications	No. of CFSCs	No. of CFSC Students	No. of CRFSC	No. of CRFSC Students
before 1999	23,804	182	1,744	20	119
1999	205	4,590	43,911	1,120	6,501
2000	5,261	9,633	81,290	2,313	12,101
2001	1,418	6,212	57,090	1,685	9,048
2002	3,045	5,239	49,731	1,743	10,060
2003	709	4,176	37,650	1,347	7,844
2004	468	3,899	36,277	1,251	8,201
2005	756	4,274	40,741	1,446	9,028
2006	1,546	4,969	47,540	1,747	10,400
2007	911	5,556	55,694	2,119	13,304
2008	448	6,682	65,929	2,553	17,072
2009	231	6,943	67,574	2,867	19,901
2010	173	6,542	67,286	2,724	20,253
2011*	30	534	5,608	257	2,237
Total	39,005	69,431	658,065	23,192	146,069

* Up to March 31, 2011

NOTE: These totals do not include the number of individuals who have taken the above courses in Quebec.

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Licence Refusals and Revocations

Licensing of an individual to possess firearms requires a variety of background checks. Applicants are screened to detect potential public safety risks based on information provided with a firearms licence application. Continuous eligibility screening is conducted over the term of the licence to identify any public safety risks that may arise over time. A licence may also be revoked following a court order or a Chief Firearm Officer’s investigation resulting from a call to the CFP’s public safety line (1-800-731-4000).

The Registrar of Firearms is notified of all licence revocations, is responsible for revoking all associated registration certificates, and works to ensure proper disposal of the firearms. For more information on refusals and revocations, please consult the
Firearms Act.

NOTE: Reasons for licence refusals or revocations include: a history of violence, mental illness, potential risk to oneself or others, unsafe firearm use and storage, drug offences, and providing false information.

Licence Refusals by Year

Year	Refused Applications
2006	391
2007	438
2008	460
2009	513
2010	572
2011*	148

* Up to March 31, 2011

Licence Revocations by Year

Year	Licences Revoked
2006	2,064
2007	1,748
2008	1,834
2009	2,075
2010	2,231
2011*	611

* Up to March 31, 2011

Firearms Registration

The registration of firearms links firearms and their licensed owners, thereby enhancing owners’ accountability for safe storage and use of firearms. A centralized, on-line, secure database of firearms information helps police and other public safety officials carry out investigations efficiently and effectively enabling them to quickly trace a firearm to its last lawful owner.

Firearms Registered as of March 2011

Province/Territory	Non-restricted firearms	Restricted firearms	Prohibited firearms	Total
Alberta	891,238	90,284	24,493	1,006,015
British Columbia	821,523	95,434	28,593	945,550
Manitoba	338,050	18,258	6,102	362,410
New Brunswick	271,849	11,733	5,331	288,913
Newfoundland and Labrador	201,498	3,900	1,583	206,981
Northwest Territories	18,382	1,062	336	19,780
Nova Scotia	287,033	15,835	7,323	310,191
Nunavut	12,035	158	40	12,233
Ontario	2,082,323	185,052	84,528	2,351,903
Prince Edward Island	21,679	1,649	809	24,137
Quebec	1,607,550	57,082	33,455	1,698,087
Saskatchewan	402,068	26,181	8,436	436,685
Yukon	23,474	1,749	396	25,619
Total	6,978,702	508,377	201,425	7,688,504

Firearms per 100,000 Population*

Province/Territory	Firearms per 100,000 Population*
Alberta	30,637
British Columbia	22,980
Manitoba	31,596
New Brunswick	39,614
Newfoundland and Labrador	40,948
Northwest Territories	47,704
Nova Scotia	33,958
Nunavut	41,504
Ontario	19,342
Prince Edward Island	17,767
Quebec	22,478
Saskatchewan	45,128
Yukon	84,351
Total	24,321

*Firearms per 100,000 population are calculated using Provincial/Territorial populations from 2006 Census

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Firearm Transfers

A firearm must be legally transferred whenever it is sold, traded or given to someone else. The registration information must be updated to indicate the new owner, if he or she lives in Canada. This process is referred to as a “transfer” under the Firearms Act.

Firearm Transfers by Transfer Method

NOTE: EFAST is a legacy system that is being phased out

Quarter	Telephone	Internet	Paper	EFAST	Total
2008 Q 2	72,632	84,757	0	81	157,470
2008 Q 3	73,853	102,321	0	0	176,174
2008 Q 4	89,997	82,739	0	0	172,736
2009 Q 1	77,943	67,041	0	0	144,984
2009 Q 2	78,766	87,345	0	0	166,111
2009 Q 3	80,124	91,126	0	0	171,250
2009 Q 4	91,155	84,112	2	8	175,277
2010 Q 1	70,017	74,602	2	0	144,621
2010 Q 2	76,672	108,379	0	0	185,051
2010 Q 3	86,845	117,713	1	6	204,565
2010 Q 4	86,448	107,692	0	0	194,140
2011 Q 1	81,237	90,692	0	0	171,929

Firearm Transfers Processed within Service Standard (30 days)

Quarter	Percentage within Standard
2008 Q 2	95.2%
2008 Q 3	97.5%
2008 Q 4	96.7%
2009 Q 1	96.5%
2009 Q 2	97.4%
2009 Q 3	97.7%
2009 Q 4	96.7%
2010 Q 1	97.3%
2010 Q 2	97.8%
2010 Q 3	97.3%
2010 Q 4	96.2%
2011 Q 1	97.0%

NOTE: this figure refers to the mailing of a hard copy Registration certificate to the transferee. The transfer transaction is typically updated in CFIS within a few hours, and the transferee can legally take possession of the firearms at that point.

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Other CFP Performance Information

CFRO Queries

The Canadian Firearms Registry On-line (CFRO) is a subset of the Canadian Firearms Information System (CFIS). The system is available to Canadian police agencies via the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) system to assist them when responding to calls and conducting investigations. As a searchable application, police officers may query the name, address and firearms licence number of an individual, or firearm-related information such as the serial number or registration certificate number of a firearm. CFRO provides police with real-time access to the information they require in their investigative and operational activities.

Average Daily Queries to the CFRO

Type	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011*
Individual Name	1,820	2,397	4,001	4,262	6,435	7,653	10,544	11,218
Address	42	1,434	2,268	2,364	2,574	2,842	3,180	3,380
Serial#	130	143	187	176	203	316	309	330
Licence#	57	74	89	121	140	185	209	221
Certificate#	13	14	15	16	19	19	16	15
Telephone#	9	12	11	14	15	20	40	38
Other	16	17	21	21	22	50	86	88
Total	2,071	4,074	6,570	6,953	9,386	11,036	14,299	15,202

* Up to March 31, 2011

NOTE: The total may not match the sum of the components due to rounding

Total CFRO Queries by Quarter

Quarter	All Query Types
2008 Q 2	891,160
2008 Q 3	904,639
2008 Q 4	859,187
2009 Q 1	884,657
2009 Q 2	981,410
2009 Q 3	1,088,341
2009 Q 4	1,088,632
2010 Q 1	1,203,619
2010 Q 2	1,335,603
2010 Q 3	1,365,238
2010 Q 4	1,259,157
2011 Q 1	1,299,579

NOTE: The numbers from previous quarters have increased between this report and last, due to new data becoming available.

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Total CFRO Queries by Province (January - March 2011)

Province/Territory	Query Count for 2011 Q1	Queries per 100,000 Population*
Alberta	100,032	3,046
British Columbia	223,405	5,429
Manitoba	25,284	2,204
New Brunswick	48,546	6,656
Newfoundland and Labrador	22,876	4,526
Nova Scotia	2,269	5,472
Northwest Territories	18,875	2,066
Nunavut	1,629	5,527
Ontario	774,489	6,369
Prince Edward Island	2,369	1,744
Quebec	60,045	795
Saskatchewan	17,208	1,778
Yukon	2,552	8,402
Total	1,299,579	4,111

*Queries per 100,000 population are calculated using Provincial/Territorial populations from 2006 Census

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Telephone Enquiries

The Canadian Firearms Program operates a call centre located within its central processing site. This centre answers calls from the general public and licence holders relating to firearms licensing and registration.

Telephone Calls Received at the CFP's Call Centre

Year	Average Wait Time (seconds)	Total Number of Calls Received	Number of Calls Answered within 3 Minutes
2005	113	839,674	629,746
2006	159	1,132,071	740,548
2007	327	1,065,592	358,673
2008	125	975,945	690,585
2009	115	878,608	634,417
2010	49	544,093	481,273
2011*	54	133,245	113,750

*Up to March 31, 2011