People and businesses in Saskatchewan are now able to apply to the province to keep their legally owned guns, as a federal buyback program continues to roll out. On Monday, the Saskatchewan Firearms Amendment Act, 2026 officially came into effect. The act allows gun owners to apply for certificates of exemption through the new Firearms Verification and Appraisal (FVA) Service. Download the CTV News app to get breaking news alerts sent to your device The FVA Service app is open to the public and run by the Saskatchewan Firearms Office. It’s available to full-time residents who are 18 and older. The provincial government has continually voiced its opposition to the federal Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program (ASFCP) which targets more than 2,500 makes and models of firearms. “The federal government continues to target the lawfully owned property of law-abiding firearms owners and has confirmed they will provide little, or no compensation,” said Tim McLeod, minister responsible for the firearms secretariat in a news release. McLeod said the FVA provides appraisals for all property affected by the federal buyback program. To request an appraisal, Saskatchewan residents can either log in to or create a Saskatchewan Account. More details to come…