We have licensing of firearms owners in Canada. You don't get one out of a cereal box. It takes a minimum of 40 days.
Background checks are done for applicants of firearms licenses by the RCMP.
The penalty for smuggling arms into Canada is probably jail time, but  the parole system lets people out after only 1/6th of their sentence.
Firearms licenses are renewed every 5 years. The rules are enacted in the Criminal Code of Canada. In society in general, the Justice system ensures that people respect the law.