A Decade-Long Climb in Firearms Licence Applications
New data shows the number of people applying for firearms licences across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area has climbed steadily since 2016, with Peel region standing out as the biggest driver of the increase. The trend has surprised some observers given the intense national debate over gun control that has played out over the same period, including federal buyback programs and restrictions on certain firearm types introduced after 2020.
What's Behind the Surge?
It isn't entirely clear what's fueling the jump in applications, but early indications point to a mix of factors. Growing interest in shooting sports — including target shooting and competitive marksmanship — appears to be part of the story, drawing in newcomers who see it as a structured, regulated hobby rather than simply firearm ownership for its own sake. Demographic shifts in the region, along with population growth generally, may also be contributing to the raw numbers climbing even if the rate of applications per capita hasn't moved dramatically.
Applying for a Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL) in Canada is not a quick process. It requires a safety course, a criminal background check, references, and a waiting period, all administered federally through the RCMP's Canadian Firearms Program. That process alone tends to filter out casual or impulsive applicants, suggesting the increase reflects a genuine and sustained rise in interest rather than a passing spike.
An Ontario-Wide Question
While the clearest data so far comes from the Toronto and Hamilton area, the pattern raises a natural question for the rest of Ontario, including the Ottawa region. The capital has its own established shooting and hunting community, with several licensed ranges and clubs operating in and around the city, and Eastern Ontario more broadly has long had a strong hunting culture in rural townships outside the urban core. Should the trend seen in Peel and the GTA extend eastward, local ranges and firearms safety course providers in the Ottawa area could see rising demand of their own in the coming years.
For now, no comparable regional breakdown exists specifically for Ottawa, but provincial and national gun policy — including any future changes to licensing rules or restricted firearm classifications — affects residents here just as directly as it does in Peel or Hamilton. Ottawa's federal presence also means changes to firearms law tend to be debated and decided close to home, even when the data driving those debates comes from elsewhere in the province.
The Bigger Picture
The rise in licence applications comes at a moment when gun policy remains a politically charged issue nationally, with the federal government continuing to roll out its assault-style firearms buyback program alongside stricter handgun sale restrictions introduced in recent years. Whether the increase in interest reflects sport, self-defence concerns, or simply more Ontarians discovering shooting as a hobby, it's a trend worth watching as more data emerges from other regions of the province.
Source: CBC News
