Strange Laws on the Books in Canada

Strange Canadian Laws: Including Can you pay with Pennies?

Canada is one of the best countries in the world, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t a few rather strange laws that are still on the books in many parts of the country. Let’s look at some of these weird laws that some of you might be breaking right now without even realizing it.

Keep Your Excitement Levels Down

In Petrolia, Ontario, there is actually a law (Article 3,772.36) that says “yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling, or singing is prohibited at all times”. This means that, if the law was to be followed, life would be rather dull in this town! A representative from the city says that the law is on the books as a means to keep the noise level down between 11PM and 7AM. While that might be how they use the law, that’s not actually what it says, and there’s always the chance that some overzealous law enforcement officer might take it very literally and start enforcing it.

Bike Attachments

In Sudbury, Ontario, there are laws about the attachments that you can add to your bikes. The only things that riders are allowed to attach, in terms of noise making attachments, are horns and bells. Riders have not been allowed to add sirens to their bikes since 1973, when it was outlawed. Of course, this raises a couple of other questions. First, who really wants to attach a siren to their bike in the first place? Second, were there so many rowdy, rogue bicyclists with sirens in the early 70s that they really needed to add this as a law?

What’s With All the Change?

While this is not actually illegal, it is weird enough that we thought it would be a good idea to add it here. The Currency Act of 1985 actually put a limit to the number of coins that people are able to use in a transaction. Vendors have the right to refuse to sell if you are trying to use more than $5 worth of nickels or more than $25 worth of loonies. It’s hard to believe that this was ever a large enough problem to warrant a place in the Currency Act.

No T-Shirts

Taxi drivers in Halifax need to abide by the Regional Municipality Bylaws for Taxis and Limousines. One of the sections says that drivers need to “wear shoes and socks, keep their attire in neat and tidy condition at all times”. It also says that they cannot wear a t-shirt. This means that hot weather for the taxi drivers in Halifax must be downright miserable!

Beware of Snowmen

Here’s a strange one. In Souris, P.E.I, there’s a law against building snowmen that are taller than 30 inches for those who live on corner lots. There doesn’t really seem to be a good explanation for the reason behind the law, and that makes it all the more mysterious.

These are some of the most interesting and oddest of the laws and regulations across different parts of Canada. It’s always fun to look at some of the odd laws on the books and wonder just what people were thinking when they came up with the law.