An Act to protect persons with regard to activities involving firearms and amending the Act respecting safety in sports

This act prohibits the possession of firearms in the buildings and on the grounds of childcare facilities and educational institutions and in conveyances used for public transportation and school transportation. By government regulation, any other institution may be added to those listed in the act.

The act also regulates target shooting with restricted and prohibited firearms in shooting clubs and shooting ranges, in particular by requiring operators to obtain a licence. Compliance with safety regulations, and the keeping of a register of users' and members' frequentation of the facilities, are among the other requirements set forth in the actl. In addition, a person wishing to engage in target shooting must be a member of a shooting club, meet the conditions for continued membership and obtain an attestation of competency in the safe use of firearms.

Under this act, the personnel of educational institutions, public transportation and school transportation drivers and admission attendants and persons responsible for shooting clubs and shooting ranges are required to report to police any behaviour indicating that an individual may endanger the safety of the individual or another person by the use of a firearm. Certain professionals are authorized to report such behaviour despite obligations of confidentiality and professional secrecy.

This act and its attendant regulations have been into force since 1 September 2008.

The Act to amend the Act to protect persons with regard to activities involving firearms and amending the Act respecting safety in sports was assented to 4 December 2009. This Act provides that persons admitted as members of a shooting club between 31 August 2008 and 1 September 2009 are deemed to be members of the club, even if they have not complied with section 46.42 of the Act respecting safety in sports.

The Act also states that persons who were members of a shooting club on 31 August 2009 have until 1st April 2010 to provide the shooting club operator with an attestation to the effect that they have passed the competency test in the safe practice of the sport of target shooting with restricted firearms or prohibited firearms.

Consult the Act to protect persons with regard to activities involving firearms and amending the Act respecting safety in sports.