The Canadian Sporting Arms and Ammunition Association has been actively engaging with the RCMP and the Canadian Firearms Program regarding the recurring outages of the Individual and Business Web Services (IWS/BWS) portals. We have emphasized how these outages, often occurring during peak business hours, disrupt operations and result in significant financial losses for businesses.

While we have urged for maintenance to be scheduled outside business hours, Shared Services Canada has clarified that such timing conflicts with law enforcement needs, as their database must remain operational during nighttime hours when law enforcement activity peaks.

CSAAA had an extensive meeting with the Canadian Firearms Program before an email was sent to businesses yesterday notifying businesses of yet another outage. This is a major outage that we are told is just another step in making the system more reliable and accessible for businesses going forward.

Shared Services Canada will be conducting a “disaster recovery exercise” to improve system reliability. This will require two scheduled outages on Sunday, November 17, 2024:

• 7:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. EST
• 3:15 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. EST

The IWS and BWS portals will be unavailable during these times. However, the system will be operational between 11:15 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. EST, and the RCMP encourages businesses to conduct regular transactions during this period to help monitor the system’s functionality.

To assist businesses during the outages:

• CFP staff will be available by phone to facilitate transfers.
• In case the primary phone line is unavailable, an alternate number will be provided via email immediately.
• CSAAA will be available by email if there are any concerns or if services are not available.

Action Items for Businesses

1. Ensure your business and customers have an up-to-date email address on file with CFP. Email will be the primary method of communication for updates, as they are phasing out paper notifications.
2. Take advantage of the operational hours (11:15 a.m. – 3:15 p.m. EST) to test the system.

We understand the frustration caused by these disruptions and we are committed to advocating for solutions that will result in less outages and downtime.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Jenn at [email protected].