Sask. appoints first provincial chief firearms officer
Saskatchewan has formally appointed its first provincial Chief Firearms Officer (CFO), Robert Freberg.
Chief firearms officers are responsible for administering the federal Firearms Act in the provinces, and have jurisdiction over the licensing, transporting and carrying of firearms.
This appointment signifies the transition from a federally selected firearms officer to a provincially selected one.
Freberg was the past CEO of Brigadier Security Systems and Elite Security Systems. He worked with the company for 34 years. He has been a board member and volunteer with the Saskatoon Wildlife Federation for more than 40 years. He served as president of the organization for five years.
He was also a former elected member of the national board of directors for the Canadian Sports Shooting Association.
In 2018, Freberg received the Canadian Sports Shooting National Recognition Award for outstanding contributions to the Canadian firearms community.
He is a firearms instructor for the Pal and RPal programs.
The province decided to choose its own chief firearms officer this year. The role has previously been chosen by the federal government.
"I have known Saskatchewan gun owners my whole life and I know they stand for safe, responsible, and accountable ownership of firearms," Freberg said. "It will be an honour to serve them and to advocate for them at the provincial and national level."
While the position will not have the power to change federal firearm laws, Freberg believes that having a provincially appointed CFO will allow Saskatchewan to have a stronger voice in the debate over firearms legislation in Ottawa.
“Our hope is that having a seat at the table with the federal government now, we can talk about that ahead of time and maybe put some other recommendations forward that’d be more cost-effective, maybe more effective in actually reducing crime,” Freberg said.
Provincial organizations like the Saskatchewan Recreational Firearms Association (SRFA) are looking forward to having better communication with a provincial CFO.
“Having access to the CFO's office, I know myself I've tried to contacting the federal one on multiple occasions and it's quite delayed if you can even get through to them at all,” Gil White, chairperson of the SRFA said.
Saskatchewan will become the seventh province to have a provincial CFO. Going forward, Freberg will consult with other provincial counterparts and has faith that there will be positive change with the new position.
In a news release, the Government of Saskatchewan said it continues to oppose the federal government’s firearm control measures.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.