THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

A restricted firearms license holder holds an AR-15 at his home in Langley, British Columbia, May 1, 2020.

The federal government gives Canada Post the ability to store and transport restricted firearms under new regulations that bring the retail gun buyback program one step closer to launch .

An Order in Council dated October 16 allows restricted assault firearms to be removed from firearms retailer safes, transported and ultimately destroyed.

More than 1,500 firearm models were restricted in May 2020 after a mass shooting in Nova Scotia left 23 people dead, including the shooter.

Since then, retailers who possess these now-banned weapons have been required to keep them safely in their inventory.

“Once the program is launched, updated shipping regulations will make affected firearms and devices eligible for mailing and will temporarily allow businesses participating in the program to ship firearms or devices by mail,” declared Gabriel Brunet, spokesperson for the Minister of Public Security, Dominic LeBlanc. in a press release Friday.

LeBlanc previously said the long-promised gun buyback would begin this fall.

First, the government will purchase restricted firearms from retail stores and have them destroyed. An individual buyback program for people with restricted weapons will begin next year.

In a statement, Canada Post said it was prepared to participate in the first phase of the buyback program because retailers already know the strict rules required to ship firearms safely.

The Crown corporation maintains it will not participate in the second phase of the buyback program, involving individual gun owners, due to concerns about employee safety.

The Criminal Code amnesty for possession of restricted assault firearms has been extended twice so far and will now expire on October 30, 2025. Regulations allowing the shipment of these firearms expire on the same date.