Premier Dalton McGuinty says Ontario won't create a provincial gun registry, but it does want stores to keep records of who buys guns, despite federal objections.

Federal Public Safety Minister Vic Toews has sent a letter to all provincial chief firearms officers, telling them the collection of point-of-sale data is no longer authorized under the Firearms Act.

But McGuinty says vendors have been keeping such records since the 1970's, and if the federal government wants to stop the practice, it needs to be clear about that.

Ontario Community Safety Minister Madeleine Meilleur adds that the province will let the courts decide on keeping information on gun buyers if necessary.

Meilleur says Ontario will "comply fully" with the requirements of Bill C-19, which scrapped the federal long-gun registry.

But she says Ontario retailers will still be required to log names and addresses of anyone purchasing a gun as part of the permit process.

Conservative MP Candice Hoeppner told the House of Commons that provinces should comply with both the letter and the spirit of the legislation.