**The above answer is completely false. Handguns are perfectly legal in Canada and as a matter of fact, we have more liberal laws regarding them than the US.
Private ownership means you have to belong to a gun club or range facility. The firearm must be registered and you need a transport permit to move it from your home to the range. Most of these permits are good for 5 years so you dont have to get a permit everytime you wish to go shooting.
You can buy a gun anywhere in Canada, from any private person or business. And after you pay for it, you get a "transfer permit". That allows the person or business you bought it from to mail the firearm to you via Canada Post or another certified shipping company.