Odd Canadian Laws

Many of Canada's old laws are no longer enforced. However, many of them are still valid. Some are odd, some are silly, some are serious. Some were made decades ago and have never been taken off the books and some need to be enforced today, just as they were when they were first made.

In the town where I live in southern Ontario, it is against the law to spit on the sidewalk. However, the law has not been enforced for many years.

Until 1921, drivers were required to drive on the left hand side of the road in Victoria, British Columbia. On December 31, 1921, precisely at the stroke of midnight, all drivers and cyclists began driving on the right side of the road.

If you hinder or interrupt the Canadian Forces while they're training or marching, you will be fined $100. Interfering or impending with the recruitment of Canadian Forces carries a fine of $300.

If you happen upon an injured migratory bird in a Canadian national park, you are required to kill it immediately. If not, you can be fined $300. (Wouldn't it be better to call a Fish & Game office and find out if the bird could be saved? )

Horses are not allowed to stand on Edmonton streets for longer than 20 minutes. This law was passed in 1920, assuring people doing business didn't loiter or stay to chat with merchants.

Street musicians must not give children balloon animals in Victoria, British Columbia.

Everyone loves to ride in a one-horse-open sleigh. On Ontario highways the horse must have two bells attached to its' harness, or two bells must be fastened to the sleigh. The fine for not obeying this law - $5.

Wolfville, Nova Scotia has a curfew for those under the age of 15. All youngsters must be off the street by 9 pm from October to March and 10 pm in summer, unless they are with a parent or guardian. The bylaw, though still valid, has not been enforced since 1980. It should be.

In Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, all cyclists are required to carry a kerosene lantern, which can be seen plainly.

Unless you want to face a fine of up to $25,000., you must never release a raccoon out of its territory in the province of Ontario.

You cannot release ten or more helium-filled balloons in any City of Toronto park within a 24 hour period.

In Fort Qu' Appelle, Saskatchewan all teenagers walking down the main street must have their shoes tied.

Ontario law states it is illegal to paint any bus bright yellow unless it is being used to transport handicapped adults or school children.

No school bus or other public vehicle can change gears while crossing a railroad track. The law requires all buses stop before crossing railway tracks.

Halifax, Nova Scotia has a bylaw that states that grass on the boulevard (between the curb and sidewalk) must not be longer than 6 inches (15 centimetres) tall. If a dispute arises, the grass will be measured by city officials. I guess they have nothing better to do.

Canadian law states that no person shall offer a rewarded for lost or stolen property if promising "no questions will be asked." Questions will most definitely be asked.

Canada's criminal code states that anyone, "offending a public place with a bad smell" is liable to two years in jail. LOL I've met up with a lot of people that should be in jail.

You cannot knowingly sell any defective merchandise to Her Majesty the Queen or her agents. If you do, you may find yourself imprisoned for up to 14 years.

In February 1999, a judge in Collingwood, Ontario sent a summons to a retired schoolteacher. The offence - letting the Canadian Flag snap too loudly in the wind. (Most ridiculous. I thought we lived in Canada. )

Toronto and Halifax both have laws forbidding anyone to "spy" on people in city parks. This is an old law. Today it would be stalking.

One old law in British Columbia makes it illegal to kill a sasquatch (big foot). Another in Toronto makes it illegal for pigs to run in the streets. This became law in 1834 and has never been changed.

If you live in St. John's, Newfoundland don't keep cows in your house. It's also against the law to drive cattle through the streets of St. John's after 8am.

A very serious law has been established in the Yukon to protect pets and drivers. A pet found at large within 30 metres (100 feet) of the centre of the highway brings a fine to the owner of $100. If this happens three times in one year, the fine goes up to $500.

Nova Scotia's Baby Chick Protection Act makes it illegal to sell, give or display an artificially colored chick. Doing so will bring a fine of $100 or 30 days in jail.

Margarine was banned from Canada in 1886. However, in Quebec it is illegal for margarine to be the same color as butter. For years, it was illegal in that province to have margarine in your refrigerator. It costs $100,000 per month for Quebec to produce non-butter colored margarine.

Under Section 456 of Canada's Criminal Code, it is illegal to deface "current coin." This includes the burning or defacing of paper currency. Who can afford to do that? This also includes putting pennies, nickels and dimes on train tracks to flatten them.

Halifax County has a bylaw that makes it illegal to knock, ring a doorbell or shout after 10 pm.

Every time beavers build a dam in a waterway in Canada's national parks, they are breaking the law. Blocking a waterway in a national park brings a fine of $100. (Wonder how the government plans to collect. Any ideas? )

Never carry a slingshot when entering a national park within Canada's borders. Even if you don't use it, you can be fined up to $200.

Don't put a slow moving sign on a vehicle that isn't slow moving if you plan to drive on Ontario's highways. A vehicle displaying a slow moving sign that is moving at normal speeds will be stopped and the driver fined.

It is against the law to drive a sled dog team on a sidewalk in any settlement within the borders of the Northwest Territories.

If you leave an animal in distress in Canada's Yukon, you will face six months in jail or a fine of $500.

A few interesting facts as I didn't have time today to get my Green Thumb photos taken. Have a great Sunday and remember to spend time with your family. ~Blessings, Mary~

Autumn Photos of Canada and a Urgent Prayer Request

In a few days autumn will officially arrive. Spring and autumn are my favorite seasons. Spring because it is a time of rebirth and autumn because the weather is cooler and Mother nature paints the forests with reds, oranges, browns and yellows against a backdrop of evergreen.

The photos below are some that I've taken over the years. They show the beautiful colors that autumn brings to our part of the world.

The above photo was taken in northern Ontario in the 1990s. Hubby and I went up north for a weekend getaway. Behind the rocks in this area was a lake. I forget the name of it now, but if we went there early in the morning, we could see otters playing. It was an awesome sight. One of these years I would like to return to this area again.

This photo was taken on the same trip. This one is near Bobcaygeon, Ontario, which is on the Trent-Severn Waterway. You can fish for Muskie in this region. Bobcaygeon pronounced Bob-cay-je-wan is an Ojibwa word meaning "at the shallow currents." It was incorporated as a village in 1876.

The above photo is one that was taken on Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. I love Cape Breton in autumn. There isn't quite any place on earth that is so beautiful. It has mountains much like the Smokeys - another place that I love to visit in the fall.

New Brunswick is also beautiful in autumn, though the year I took this the colors weren't as vibrant as they sometimes are. My MIL lives in New Brunswick not far from Moncton. It is a beautiful province with lots of forested areas. There are an abundance of Moose in this particular area.

I'm not sure where this one was taken, but from the other photos that were with it, I would assume northern Ontario. The colors are amazing. And finally, back home to the Grand River Valley. This is the Grand in all of her beauty. The colors were just beginning to change, but like all the rest of the photos, this was taken previously and is not this year's photo.

I hope you enjoyed your tour of Canada in autumn. I would love to see the Rocky Mountains in the fall of the year. I have seen them, but only in winter and they are magnificient. I stayed in Cranbrook, BC, which is in the Interior of British Columbia. The Rockies and Purcell Mountains surround this beautiful town. I would love to visit there again and get some photos. Maybe one day. Until then, I will be happy with my memories of all the beautiful places I have visited in autumn.

If you would like to see some beautiful photos of Cranbrook, please explore HERE!

Take care and enjoy your day. ~Blessings, Mary~

Prayer request Update

Jo at Moodscapes has an urgent prayer request. It seems her friend, Janice, at Wildflower Cabin lost her granddaughter in a fatal car accident on September 13th. The mother and father of Poppy Josephine Hart need our prayers. Poppy Josephine is resting in the arms of Jesus. Please keep the family in your prayers.

Happy Birthday, Canada!

Tuesday July 1, 2008 is Canada's 141st birthday. Believe it or not, Canada is not just a land of ice and snow. In the summer, southern regions of the nation can see temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, though this is rare. A hot summer day is usually in the high 90s.

Here are a few more facts about Canada:

* Canada is located on the North American continent and is the second largest country in the world.

* Canada is bordered by the United States of America to the south, the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Arctic Ocean to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the east.

* Canada consists of ten provinces and three territories. The newest territory is Nunavut, pronounced Noon-a-voot, was established in 1999 and consists of two million square miles.

* Canada's capital is Ottawa, Ontario.

* Stephen Harper is the Prime Minister of Canada. He is leader of the Conservative Party, also known as the Tories.

* John A. McDonald was the first Prime Minister of Canada.

* Canada's most prominent emblem is the maple leaf. It appears on our flag, which you can see at the top of my sidebar.

* Another Canadian emblem is the beaver. When Canada was young, there were millions of beaver here. The skins were highly sought after in England for beaver skin hats.

* Other symbols of Canada include the Bluenose II and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. People also associate moose and the Common loon with Canada.

* Canada's motto is: from sea to sea. Her national anthem is O' Canada.

* Canada has six time zones.

* Over one million aboriginal peoples, consisting of North American Indian, Metis and Inuit live within the borders of Canada.

* Canada is home to one quarter of the world's fresh water supply.

* Over two million lakes are situated in Canada and were formed millions of years ago by glaciers.

* Half of the nation is forest region.

* European settlers first arrived in Canada in the 1500s. It was named Canada in 1535 by explorer Jaques Cartier. He heard Native Canadians say the word Kanata, which means village and thought they were referring to the country. Instead of pronouncing it Kanata (Can-ah-ta) he called it Canada.

* Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. For many years it only had four provinces; Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Quebec.

* At one time the region that is now Ontario was Upper Canada and Quebec was Lower Canada.

* Canada sells electric power to the United States.

* Canada has 42 national parks. These were established to protect plant and animal life. The largest national park is Alberta's Wood Buffalo National Park. It is the only site where whooping cranes nest and is home to the world's largest herd of buffalo.

* Canadians invented the light bulb, television, the electron microscope, the snow mobile, green garbage bags, basketball (a Canadian invented it in the US) and the baseball glove, among other things.

* Hockey is Canada's national sport.

* Canada is a bilingual and multi-cultural country.

* Canadians celebrate Canada Day by going to celebrations where there are activities for the entire family, food and, after dark, fireworks.

I could go on and on with other facts about Canada, but that is enough for today. I wish my Canadian friends a Happy Canada Day and my American friends a Happy Independence Day. Enjoy the festivities and stay safe. ~Blessings, Mary~

Canadian Black History and Other Bits & Pieces

February is Black History Month and in recognition of that, I'm going to tell you a bit about the history of African Canadians, also known as Black Canadians. These terms are used to describe people of African descent who have made their home in Canada. Some Black Canadians have recent origins in the Caribbean. Others can trace their roots back to slaves who were brought to this country by British and French colonists.

Many blacks came to Canada long before 1833 when the Slavery Abolition Act was passed. The first recorded black person to come to Canada was an interpreter by the name of Mathieu de Costa. He arrived sometime in the first decade of the 1600s when Samuel de Champlain's party landed here.

The first recorded black person to ever live in Canada was Olivier Le June, a slave from Madagascar.

When the American Revolution ended, thousands of United Empire Loyalists immigrated to Canada and brought their slaves with them. Free blacks, known as Black Loyalists, also made their way to Canada after the Revolution. Most of them took up residence in what is now known as Nova Scotia. They consisted of laborers and tradesmen and their families.

The first North American race riot took place in Birchtown, Nova Scotia. White soldiers attacked black settlers for taking jobs that the soldiers thought were rightfully theirs. Blacks were highly discriminated against at that time and the British government broke its promises to them.

On January 15, 1792, approximately 1200 black Africans left Nova Scotia to settle in Sierra Leone, Africa.

The history of Canada's slave trade is not often mentioned in the media. It's as if it slavery and discrimination never existed here. Shamefully, it did.

In other news it snowed here from 3am on Friday morning until about 9pm. Thank goodness it was a very fine snow or we would be snowed in big time. Instead, we have about a foot of snow. That's enough and I can't figure out where all the snowplows are. The roads are in terrible condition and we haven't even seen a snowplow but it sure is pretty. The world is dressed in a lacey white gown, as you can see from the photo below. The tree is in our side yard. Karen, I wish I could box some of it up and send it to you so you could have a little snow. I know you've been wishing for some.

I read in today's newspaper that on February 1, 1908, the city had the biggest snowfall of the year. They got 10 inches. You know the old saying that history repeats itself every 100 years. I guess this proves it. Today was the biggest snowfall of this winter and it is exactly 100 years to the day.

Heart of a Mommy presented me with this award. Thanks so much. You are very kind.

Here are the rules:

Here are the rules for passing it on…By accepting this Excellent Blog Award, you have to award it to 10 more people who’s blogs you find Excellent Award worthy. You can give it to as many people as you want but please award at least 10. Thank you out there for having such great blogs and being such great friends! You deserve this! Feel free to award people who have already been awarded…

I dislike choosing favorites to receive this award, so am going to break the rules, rebellious person that I am, and give it to everyone that visits me on a regular basis and to all of those on my blogroll. I enjoy visiting all of you.