The Yukon government is launching a new initiative looking for feedback from Yukoners about how the territory should engage with the federal government to advocate on behalf of firearms owners.
Justice Minister Laura Lang announced the initiative in a news release published on July 2. The latest round of engagement comes after previous statements by the minister criticizing the federal Liberal government’s ongoing “assault-style weapons” prohibition which has seen over 2,000 new firearms added to the prohibited weapons list under the Canadian Criminal Code since the policy came into effect in 2020.
Since its inception, the prohibition has met with sharp criticism from firearm advocacy groups, opposition party politicians, and the governments of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, the Yukon and Nunavut. All five of these governments have stated that they will not allocate provincial or territorial police resources to participate in confiscating newly prohibited firearms.
Lang herself has also been an outspoken critic of the program, having previously released statements calling on the government to scrap the initiative.
The government launched a public engagement initiative on July 2 to inform the creation of new legislation aimed at advocating for firearm owners in the Yukon.
According to Lang, the government is exploring the creation of a new government position as a firearms advocate to the federal government on behalf of Yukoners.
Lang said the government is seeking input from the public as to whether the creation of the position is something that Yukoners see as necessary.
“We’re seeking input from Yukoners, do they see an advocate as an important tool or mechanism to be used,” Lang said.
Lang also said the public engagement sessions will serve as an opportunity for Yukoners to voice what sort of firearms education they want to see prioritized in the territory.
“We want to really hear from Yukoners, [about] both the advocate position, but also where they see safety and educational improvements occurring,” Lang said.
Lang also said the territory is working with Ottawa to set up a new chief firearms officer for the northern territories, responding to concerns the former Yukon Party government raised about firearm rights.
Appointed by the federal government, a CFO is in charge of implementing policy and legislation related to firearms in each province and territory such as the handling of firearms licenses, and education, ensuring regulatory compliance from firearms related businesses, and inspecting shooting ranges. In the Yukon, the duties of the CFO are administered by a B.C. based officer.
In an interview with the News on July 3, Lang said that establishing a CFO position dedicated to the north would provide Yukoners with greater representation when it comes to the creation and implementation of federal firearms policies.
“The individual would have a home base here, [and] learn from the community. They would have that appreciation of a Yukon context, [and] have connections across all of our communities, [and] also they would have that northern experience by also representing the Northwest Territories and Nunavut”, Lang said.
According to the release, those who wish to provide their feedback on firearms can attend an in-person information session at the Whitehorse Public Library on July 20. Feedback will also be accepted online at Yukon.ca/engagements
Contact Noah Korver at noah.korver@yukon-news.com
By Noah Korver, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Original Published on Jul 17, 2026 at 12:02
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