MONTREAL — Despite two setbacks in the last month, Quebec says it will continue its legal battle with Ottawa to preserve the province’s records in the federal long-gun registry.

The federal government has already destroyed the data on 5.6 million rifles and shotguns registered in other provinces following its decision last year to scrap the controversial and costly long-gun registry.

With gun control still a hot topic in the province, Quebec is planning to set up its own firearms registry and wants to use the federal data already collected to get started.

However, the Quebec data moved a step closer to being deleted Tuesday after the Quebec Court of Appeal refused to suspend a court ruling last month that said Ottawa does not have to hand over the data to the Quebec government.

Quebec had asked for a stay — to allow the data to be retained until a final ruling on the case from the Supreme Court of Canada.

However, appeals court Judge Pierre Dalphond denied the request on Tuesday, saying Quebec’s argument that it would be costly to start its own registry from scratch is not a strong enough reason to suspend a court ruling.

Dalphond also said it costs Ottawa about $100,000 a month to maintain the Quebec part of the registry.

Quebec thought it would get its hands on the data last September after a Quebec Superior Court judge ruled that since the registry was developed through partnerships between the federal government and its provincial counterparts, each should have a say in what happens to it.

Ottawa appealed that decision and on June 27, the Quebec Court of Appeal overturned the Superior Court ruling, saying the data in the gun registry did not belong to Quebec.

Provincial Justice Minister Bertrand St-Arnaud said last month Quebec would appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court of Canada and seek a safeguard order to ensure the Quebec data would not be destroyed by the federal government pending the Supreme Court’s decision.

That safeguard request was rejected Tuesday.

After Tuesday’s decision, St-Arnaud told reporters he was “very disappointed” by the Court of Appeal decision.

He said Quebec now will ask the Supreme Court of Canada to safeguard the data, pending its appeal of the June 27 Court of Appeal decision that Ottawa has the power to abolish the registry and destroy the data.

“We have informed the attorney-general of Canada of our intention to proceed with the stay application to prevent destruction of the data,” he said.

The registry is an emotional issue for gun-control advocates in Quebec because it was created following the killing of 14 female engineering students at the École Polytechnique in 1989.

A spokesperson for federal Public Security Minister Steven Blaney said the federal government is “pleased with the decision of Quebec Court of Appeal.”

“Our Conservative government is committed to stand up for the rights of law-abiding hunters, farmers and sport shooters in all regions of the country, including Quebec,” said spokesperson Julie Carmichael.

Carmichael refused to say whether Ottawa intends to delete the data or maintain it until the Supreme Court of Canada hears the case.