Weirdest Canadian laws you didn’t know existed

Weirdest Canadian laws you didn’t know existed - Canada's legislation has formed throughout rapidly changing times, meaning there are some laws that still exist that are extremely hard to explain. Check out this gallery of laws you won’t believe actually existed in the country. It's likely you've broken some of them already!

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Surf within the speed limit - Uxbridge, Ontario still has a law on the books that limits internet speed to 56k, which was about the speed of the internet in the age of dial-up modems. The town is filled with delinquents!

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Snowmen must be low men - According to the Toronto Observer, it's illegal to build snowmen higher than 2.5 ft in Souris, PEI. Are they afraid of Frosty actually coming to life?

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You can't drag your dead horse down Toronto's Yonge Street on Sundays - Toronto bylaw states that the act is illegal, but as the York Regional Police tweeted, it's probably more of a Monday activity anyway.

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You can't scare the Queen - Section 49 of the Criminal Code of Canada prohibits a person from intentionally frightening or alarming the Queen, and anyone who does so can face up to 14 years in prison.

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It's illegal to fill your tub more than three and a half inches in Etobicoke, Ontario - They care about their citizens' safety, but have they ever tried unwinding in a 3.5 inch bath?

(Source: The CCOC)

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Back off the bark! - According to local bylaw, it's illegal to climb trees and build treehouses in Oshawa, Ontario. Sorry, kids!

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Illegal ice cream Sunday - Although Sundays on Bank Street in Ottawa might seem like the perfect time and place to enjoy a sweet, cold treat, don't succumb—it's illegal!

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Is your comic book a crime? - Section 163 of the Canadian Criminal Code says it's illegal to create, print, publish, possess, or sell a crime comic—making virtually every superhero comic book in the country a violation of the law.

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Treat your oysters right, or else you could be a criminal - Canada's Criminal Code has an entire section devoted to the sea creature, including pre-meal ethics of oyster treatment and section 323 which says it's a criminal offence to steal oysters.

(Source: LawInfo)

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It’s actually illegal to smell bad in public - Canada's Criminal Code serves to protect us all from those who "[offend] a place with a bad smell."

(Source: LawInfo)

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It’s illegal to remove a band aid in public in Canada - The York Regional Police warned all those mummies out there.

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Being rude can break the law - Toronto bylaw makes it illegal to swear both in a public park and at your mother in public, both of which can leave you with heavy fines. Similar rules apply in Calgary, including fines for putting your feet on benches and tables. And in Quebec City, it's illegal to swear in French and to impersonate a foreigner.

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It's illegal to pretend to practice witchcraft - The Canadian Criminal Code declares that anyone who "(a) pretends to exercise or to use any kind of witchcraft, sorcery, enchantment or conjuration, (b) undertakes, for a consideration, to tell fortunes, or (c) pretends from his skill in or knowledge of an occult or crafty science … is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction." Harry Potter fans, beware!

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Snakes are outlawed accessories - It's against the law to wear a snake in public in Fredericton—even if it matches your outfit perfectly.

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Don't give all your coins to one cashier - According to Canada's Currency Act of 1985, it's against the law to pay with more than 25 loonies, 25 pennies, and 100 nickels.

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Taxi drivers can't wear a t-shirt or casual shorts in Halifax - Halifax's Regional Municipality Bylaws for Taxis and Limousines requires cab drivers to wear a "shirt or military type blouse with a collar and sleeves," as well as ankle-length pants or dress shorts (no cut-offs) that fall within at least three inches of the knee.

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Teens must lace up or they'll get locked up - It's illegal for teens to walk down Main Street in Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan with untied shoes.

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It's illegal for bagpipers to pipe at the same time in Victoria - Along with specific rules about where and when they can pipe, the BC city bylaw states that bagpiping street performers must not ever have the opportunity to battle it out.

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Don't get caught purple-handed near your garage in Kanata, Ontario - It's illegal to paint your garage purple in Kanata, Ontario. But purple is the only illegal colour, so you can go ahead and paint it that neon green you've been pining over.

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Keep your booze within borders - According to the prohibition-era Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act, you may only move a bottle of booze from one province to another with permission of the provincial liquor control board. Wine is fine, but little else is legal.

(Source: Reader's Digest)

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It's illegal to kill a Sasquatch in BC - There's much debate about whether this is just an urban legend, but provincial legislation does declare that native species are owned by the government and can't be killed without a license.

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Parrots in Oak Bay better keep quiet - According to Canada Law Schools, a noisy parrot in Oak Bay, British Columbia could earn their owners a $100 fine.

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You can only care for four rats at a time in Vancouver - In Port Coquitlam, owning more than four rats is illegal. How many rat owners did it take to push this legislation forward?

(Source: BC Mag)

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It's against the law to neglect your grass in London, Ontario - The city has strict rules about the length of grass, and if it grows higher than eight inches they'll come cut it for you and leave you a weighty bill.

(Source: MyXLaw)

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It's illegal to whistle in Petrolia, Ontario - Article 3, 772.3.6 on the town's website prohibits "yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling or singing" at all times. So don't get too excited!

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You can't paint your ladder, no matter how ugly it is - Alberta's Health and Safety code makes it illegal to paint a wooden ladder. There's no disguising old rickety ladders!

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It's illegal to challenge someone or accept an invitation to duel - Section 71 of the Criminal Code makes it illegal to duel. A violation can land you in jail for up to two years! Don’t duel it!

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It was illegal to throw a snowball in Esquimault, BC - The law was eventually repealed, probably because the cops were tired of dealing with children all the time.

(Source: BC Mag)

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It was once illegal to sell stoves on Wednesdays in Vancouver - Vancouver's incredibly specific 1947 piece of legislation was repealed about 40 years later, to all stove-sellers' delight.

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It was once illegal to sell yellow-coloured margarine in Ontario - Canada's dairy farmers lobbied against margarine masquerading as real butter, and it was illegal until 1995. Before that, from 1886 to 1948, margarine was also completely banned in Canada.

(Source: Reader's Digest)

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