Canada’s firearms classification advisers have yet to meet, The Canadian Press reported, as a government review including the SKS rifle considers restrictions that could affect Indigenous hunters.
Public Safety Canada told the news agency that the Firearms Classification Technical Advisory Group is expected to hold its first meeting later in fall 2026. The department gave no exact date. The group is intended to advise the broader review, which includes consultations with First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities on the SKS.
The classification question extends beyond one rifle. The Mass Casualty Commission recommended standard definitions and a simpler, more consistent system for classifying firearms. A separate, earlier Expert Advisory Panel on Firearms identified inconsistent treatment of firearms with similar capabilities as another reason to revise the system.
That earlier panel said some Indigenous harvesters use the SKS because it is durable and inexpensive. It also noted that restrictions could leave people who rely on the rifle for hunting needing suitable replacements.
For the semi-automatic military service firearms on its list, the panel urged further study before recommending that every model be prohibited. It separately asked the government to consider prohibiting models modified to accept detachable magazines holding more than five rifle rounds.
Gun-control group PolySeSouvient has called for an immediate halt to SKS sales while the government considers rifles already in circulation. Its proposal would exempt models currently used by Indigenous hunters from prohibition, limit prohibitions to modern modified models and grandfather the rest. The proposal has not been adopted as government policy.
Public Safety Canada announced the classification review on March 7, 2025. Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree renewed the commitment on Dec. 4, 2025, saying an expanded advisory group would support the work and Indigenous communities would be consulted about the SKS. A Jan. 17, 2026, department news release repeated those plans.
Public Safety Canada told The Canadian Press it would provide more information about the technical group and public engagement soon. The response did not set a timetable for the review’s outcome.
