Alberta appoints chief firearms officer

The Alberta government named Teri Bryant as the province's chief firearms officer on Thursday — a role introduced after a recommendation from the Fair Deal panel last year.

Bryant is in charge of tackling gun crime and firearms licensing and overseeing training courses, said a news release from the province.

The federal government oversees those tasks for provinces without a designated officer. Alberta now joins Ontario, Quebec, P.E.I., New Brunswick and Nova Scotia as provinces with a provincial chief firearms officer. Saskatchewan is in the process of transitioning to one as well.

At the end of 2019, there were more than 326,000 licensed firearm owners in Alberta.

Minister of Justice and Solicitor General Kaycee Madu said in the release that Bryant's role will be "promoting a system of firearms administration in this province that is rooted in the values and priorities of Albertans," and fighting for the "legitimate rights of Alberta's lawful gun owners."

Madu will soon join Bryant on a tour of shooting ranges across the province, where they'll speak to people about what they want to see from the firearms officer. 

Bryant is a former secretary of the Alberta Arms and Cartridge Collectors Association and is the president of the Military Collectors Club of Canada. She is also a member of the Alberta Firearms Advisory Committee.