Saskatchewan government names provincially-appointed chief firearms officer

A longtime security systems CEO and firearms instructor from Saskatoon is being tabbed as the man who will enforce the federal Firearms Act in Saskatchewan.

The provincial government announced Tuesday morning Robert Freberg is becoming Saskatchewan’s chief firearms officer (CFO).

Freberg is the former CEO of Brigadier Security Systems and Elite Security Systems, companies he served for 34 years. He was once an elected member of the national board of directors for the Canadian Sport Shooting Association, and worked for five years as president of the Saskatoon Wildlife Federation.

He’s the first provincially-appointed CFO in Saskatchewan, with the position previously filled by federal appointees.

“It’s a tall order and I’m excited to get involved with it,” Freberg said.

It comes as the Sask. Party government tries to gain more control over firearms policy.

“We have many concerns about the decisions the federal government is making that affect law-abiding Saskatchewan firearms owners,” provincial Corrections and Policing Minister Christine Tell said in a release Tuesday.

“A provincially-selected Chief Firearms Officer is an important step in ensuring that Saskatchewan and its firearms community have a strong voice on this issue.”

Chief firearms officers are responsible for regulating the licensing, transporting and storage of firearms in the province they’re assigned to. They’re also responsible for licensing firearms instructors.

“While a provincial appointment does not change these duties under the federal Firearms Act, a provincially-appointed CFO is an important step in strengthening Saskatchewan’s autonomy and standing up for Saskatchewan residents,” Tell said.

“What we desire as a province is someone who can look at the legislation … and can advocate on behalf of the law-abiding Saskatchewan firearms residents with Ottawa.”

Tell said Freberg’s background with the Saskatchewan firearms community has well-positioned him to work with gun-owners in the province.

The provincial release noted Freberg is currently a Pal and RPal firearms instructor, and received a Canadian Sports Shooting national recognition award in 2018 for his lifetime contributions to the firearms community.

“Those relationships built on trust, honesty, transparency … are important,” Tell said. “I think Mr. Freberg will serve as that liaison, that relationship-strengthening with firearms owners so that there is an understanding what is indeed lawful, what is indeed unlawful.”

Freberg said his goal is to work alongside both the legal firearms community in the province and the government.

“We, of course, have to abide by and follow and enforce the federal legislation but there are a lot of areas that certainly need to be explored,” he said.

“There needs to be better communication between the legal firearms community and the CFO’s office … and have more of an open-door policy in initiating those discussions so we can come up with more solutions that are really made in Saskatchewan.”

A transition phase will take place while Freberg becomes established in his new position. During this time, the new CFO will establish a provincial office while the current CFO continues their duties in the interim to ensure services for law-abiding firearms owners are not interrupted.

Tell said the transition should be complete by the end of 2020.

“I’ve lived my whole life here,” Freberg said. “I’ve been involved in the firearms community since I was a young child and I think I really understand the issues.

“I think I can articulate those to Ottawa while working with the provincial government.”

Freberg believes strongly in the value of a locally-based CFO working in the interests of Saskatchewan gun owners and wants to move forward with a “made-in-Saskatchewan” approach to firearms.

“To have a provincially-appointed CFO is of course taking a step in strengthening the Sasktchewan economy and standing up for Saskatchewan residents,” Freberg said.

The new CFO emphasized the importance of education when it comes to dealing with firearms, adding that he hopes to work with First Nations communities during his appointment to expand the role of training and make it more accessible.

“Everyone has a voice in this and needs to be listened to,” Freberg said.