Gun Politics in Canada (Right to Bear Arms)

Gun politics in Canada are the legislations and policies regarding civilian ownership of firearms by the Canadian Parliament. Throughout much of Canada's history, much of gun politics centered around registration. From 1995 on, all firearms were required to be registered, but in April 2012 the requirement to register non-restricted firearms was dropped in every province and territory, except for Quebec (pending litigation).

Although the civilian right to bear arms was not a Canadian constitutional right, and self-defense laws with a firearm were very strict. It is not until 2014 with the Parliament Hill shooting and the Sudbury Massacre that Steven Harper's government allowed the passage of Section 35 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, often dubbed the Vigilante Section or the Canadian 2nd Amendment.

This stated that, "Every province, city and municipality retains the right to take up arms for the safety of their people through vigilante groups."

The Authorization to Carry, a license for gun self-defense in Canada which was previously hard to attain and rarely granted to most Canadian citizens, finally became available to all citizens of Canada regardless of whether they are in a remote or urban location, whether in the presence or non-presence of police.