So pardon my ignorance here, but are transfers / license approvals etc. handled by different offices (and perhaps in different locations), and those organizations funded by different provinces? I always presumed it was a single office with staff working in say different groups for each province, but under one RCMP department. I understand that each province has its own CFO, but do we have 10 differing beurocracies?
I'm asking because my purchase today (Alberta buyer, internet dealer) was assigned a transfer number within 6 hours. (and maybe they are busier, because that's 3 times as long as my preceding purchase late last year at 2 hours). I'm not gloating over a difference between provinces, I just don't understand how it can be so different if we are all supposedly following the same rules.
Just my random thought ..
Each province has their own CFO office that handles the transfers. The 3 territories are divided to and I think are assigned to BC, Alberta, and Manitoba (someone please correct me on that). The end user of the firearm at the province he/she is assigned in is designated to that province's CFO office. Therefore any sale terminating to Ontario (for example) will be handled by the Ontario CFO. Since Ontario has the largest population of registered gun owners, it is only natural that the Ontario CFO will experience delays in processing Ontario transfers. When it comes to your PAL, it is handled first by the province CFO of where you applied, and then transferred to Miramichi, NB for final approval (or is it the other way around?).
In your instance because you live in Alberta. If we do a transfer, and you call the 1-800 CFO number, you are transferred to the Alberta CFO. I get the transfer number and call the same 1-800 number, but get transferred to the Ontario CFO. Once that is complete, it is now the responsibility of the Ontario CFO to do a background check on the firearm and give a stamp of approval of the transfer. If you and I were to do it the other way around - I sell to you - then the Alberta CFO will run the necessary checks.
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