One night, reading stories online, I came across an interesting article about spanking. It seems as though the Liberal government is trying repeal Section 43 of the Criminal Code that allows parents to spank their children. I thought, ‘Oh, okay, this sounds interesting,” but as I told my peers about the story, they couldn’t believe me.
“Wait what? This can’t be true. Spanking is still legal?” one asked.
The conversation had us all thinking about other strange laws that Canada may have and, believe it or not, these are laws that are still in our Canadian books.
- Don’t drag your dead horse down Toronto’s Yonge Street on Sundays
An old Toronto bylaw states that it is illegal to drag a dead horse down Yonge Street on Sundays. It makes you wonder why this became a law in the first place. Were there masses of people out every Sunday, dragging their beloved deceased horses down Yonge? Where were they going and why is this only illegal on Sundays?
- You better watch your mouth because it’s illegal to swear in Toronto’s parks
If your every day vernacular isn’t so child friendly, then maybe hanging out at the park isn’t the best idea. According to another city bylaw, using “profane and abusive language” in publicly owned green spaces can leave you with a fine of over $200.
- Live in Oshawa? Don’t climb the trees there
You’ve probably heard the saying “monkey see monkey do.” Well, if you see a monkey climbing a tree in Oshawa, you probably shouldn’t do it. According to a city bylaw, it prohibits individuals from interfering with trees. This includes climbing them.
- It’s illegal to have tall snowmen in PEI
If you live in Souris, PEI, it’s against the law to build a snowman taller than 30-inches. Fear of Frosty’s revenge much, folks?
- You better not be whistling in Petrolia Ontario
This laws aims to limit unnecessary noise between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. According to the law, it’s illegal to yell, shout, hoot, whistle, and sing at all times. So, if you’re looking to have a fun night out on the town, maybe don’t go to Petrolia.
For more strange Canadian laws, the map below details the laws across the nation. How many of these laws have you broken?