You are quite right. Just such an case occured in Montreal. A father had told his daughter he intended to commit suicide. She called the police and they were able to check whether any firearms were in his possession. The police were then able to go to the man’s cottage and prevent him from shooting himself with the guns he owned. The registry gave a fuller picture of the situation and therefore enabled the appropriate steps to be taken.
On November 24th, 2011. See this statement in context.