Well, Can cricket.
At least you're making the effort to learn, which is more than most. Depending on where you are in BC, (your profile just says BC) one of the local people can likely help you get the knowledge and competency you need to own firearms.
If you are on the island, I can help with both practical and theoretical. If you are in Vancouver, I would gladly meet you and discuss any knowledge you wish to expand upon.
As far as just owning them, you have to factor in practice to maintain competency. Shooting buddies to help teach you are only a trip to the range away. As long as you are willing to take instruction, there is always someone there to give it, trust me:)
You should also invest some time in martial arts. I highly recommend Krav Maga. I did it for three years, and loved every day of it. I'd still be practicing, but where we moved does not have a studio, except for the exercise program disguised as a Martial art, Tae Kwon Do. KM teaches everything from knife/gun defense, to hand to hand situations, as well as being an awesome exercise program!
PM any one of us in this thread, and I'm sure you'd get a response!
All the best,
J
Check out Canadian Prepper Podcast on iTunes!
One is none, two is one.
1. Carrying any knife in Canada for self defence is illegal. You have to have a valid reason to have it and even then any LEO can take it and charge you or require you to pick it up at the station.
2. Carrying ANYTHING for self defence is illegal in Canada. A baseball bat in your car will get you in trouble as fast as anything if you don't have a glove and ball.
3. Firearms are a whole other topic. Opinions vary from person to person but the one rule is "practice". Everyone has some preference with firearms, it depends on situation and experience. Firearm laws consist make up the largest section of the criminal code are are full of grey area's and are now open to the RCMP's "liberal" interpretation. If you have questions, I am an avid shooter, and my wife is getting there(finally).
Nagol,
I'm curious as to what you would be charged with for carrying a LEGAL knife. As long as knife is legal and you are not carrying it for self defense then what? Please also point out in CC where it says I need to provide a valid reason to carry a knife.
Thanks
There are statutes as to concealed carry in the Criminal Code of Canada...
CCC S. 89 (1) Carrying weapon while attending a public meeting - Every person commits an offence who, without lawful excuse, carries a weapon, a prohibited device or any ammunition or prohibited ammunition while the person is attending or is on the way to attend a public meeting.
CCC S.90 (1) Carrying concealed weapon - Every person commits an offence who carries a weapon, a prohibited device or any prohibited ammunition concealed, unless the person is authorized by the Firearms Act to carry it concealed.
Additionally, as interpreted by the CCC S. 2 Definitions - "Weapon" means any thing used, designed to be used or intended for use
(a) in causing death or injury to any person, or
(b) for the purpose of threatening or intimidating any person and, without restricting the foregoing, includes a firearm.
As a general rule of thumb, carrying a fixed blade in its sheath on one's hip while going to or coming from work would not be seen as an offence (barring local provincial statutes, municipal bylaws,) providing its length and design would not be seen or construed as intimidating.
The issue is that it is the LEO's discretion as to wether or not to charge you.
Recently there have been several people charged in Montreal for carrying box cutters on the bus, despite the fact they were in uniform and on the way to work.
Here's an example in TO
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/shopkeeper+detained+suspected+thieves+before/3639063/story.html
Bag Pipper during a parade in MTL
https://www.google.ca/amp/news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/montreal-police-hit-bagpiper-with221-ticket-for-carrying-a-weapon-his-traditional-dagger/amp
Also "credit card knives" and similar style survival kits are considered "concealed weapons" now.
The bag piper one still riles me...
Kirpans-no problem
Scan- doos - (I know it's the wrong spelling. Spelled phonetically) offensive weapon in the eyes of QPF.
Basically - If you're a farmer, carpenter, etc. a knife on you is a legitimate TOOL to carry. If you're a shit rat hanging around downtown, anything more than a small folding Swiss Army knife is a WEAPON. If ever asked, it is a tool. Nothing more.
Check out Canadian Prepper Podcast on iTunes!
One is none, two is one.
I work a trade and cops have given me grief for a knife in my utility belt waking to my service truck.
It all comes down to the officer and how they feel on that day.
From the Canadisn criminal code: Provincial law or Municipal by-laws may vary.
PART 3Prohibited Weapons
Former Prohibited Weapons Order, No. 1
1 Any device designed to be used for the purpose of injuring, immobilizing or otherwise incapacitating any person by the discharge therefrom of
(a) tear gas, Mace or other gas, or
(b) any liquid, spray, powder or other substance that is capable of injuring, immobilizing or otherwise incapacitating any person.
Former Prohibited Weapons Order, No. 2
2 Any instrument or device commonly known as “nunchaku”, being hard non-flexible sticks, clubs, pipes, or rods linked by a length or lengths of rope, cord, wire or chain, and any similar instrument or device.
3 Any instrument or device commonly known as “shuriken”, being a hard non-flexible plate having three or more radiating points with one or more sharp edges in the shape of a polygon, trefoil, cross, star, diamond or other geometrical shape, and any similar instrument or device.
4 Any instrument or device commonly known as “manrikigusari” or “kusari”, being hexagonal or other geometrically shaped hard weights or hand grips linked by a length or lengths of rope, cord, wire or chain, and any similar instrument or device.
5 Any finger ring that has one or more blades or sharp objects that are capable of being projected from the surface of the ring.
Former Prohibited Weapons Order, No. 3
6 Any device that is designed to be capable of injuring, immobilizing or incapacitating a person or an animal by discharging an electrical charge produced by means of the amplification or accumulation of the electrical current generated by a battery, where the device is designed or altered so that the electrical charge may be discharged when the device is of a length of less than 480 mm, and any similar device.
7 A crossbow or similar device that
(a) is designed or altered to be aimed and fired by the action of one hand, whether or not it has been redesigned or subsequently altered to be aimed and fired by the action of both hands; or
(b) has a length not exceeding 500 mm.
Former Prohibited Weapons Order, No. 4
8 The device known as the “Constant Companion”, being a belt containing a blade capable of being withdrawn from the belt, with the buckle of the belt forming a handle for the blade, and any similar device.
9 Any knife commonly known as a “push-dagger” that is designed in such a fashion that the handle is placed perpendicular to the main cutting edge of the blade and any other similar device other than the aboriginal “ulu” knife.
10 Any device having a length of less than 30 cm and resembling an innocuous object but designed to conceal a knife or blade, including the device commonly known as the “knife-comb”, being a comb with the handle of the comb forming a handle for the knife, and any similar device.
Former Prohibited Weapons Order, No. 5
11 The device commonly known as a “Spiked Wristband”, being a wristband to which a spike or blade is affixed, and any similar device.
Former Prohibited Weapons Order, No. 6
12 The device commonly known as “Yaqua Blowgun”, being a tube or pipe designed for the purpose of shooting arrows or darts by the breath, and any similar device.
Former Prohibited Weapons Order, No. 7
13 The device commonly known as a “Kiyoga Baton” or “Steel Cobra” and any similar device consisting of a manually triggered telescoping spring-loaded steel whip terminated in a heavy calibre striking tip.
14 The device commonly known as a “Morning Star” and any similar device consisting of a ball of metal or other heavy material, studded with spikes and connected to a handle by a length of chain, rope or other flexible material.
Former Prohibited Weapons Order, No. 8
15 The device known as “Brass Knuckles” and any similar device consisting of a band of metal with one or more finger holes designed to fit over the fingers of the hand.
Possession of weapon for dangerous purpose
88 (1) Every person commits an offence who carries or possesses a weapon, an imitation of a weapon, a prohibited device or any ammunition or prohibited ammunition for a purpose dangerous to the public peace or for the purpose of committing an offence.
89 (1) Every person commits an offence who, without lawful excuse, carries a weapon, a prohibited device or any ammunition or prohibited ammunition while the person is attending or is on the way to attend a public meeting.
90 (1) Every person commits an offence who carries a weapon, a prohibited device or any prohibited ammunition concealed, unless the person is authorized under the Firearms Act to carry it concealed.
I work a trade and cops have given me grief for a knife in my utility belt waking to my service truck.
It all comes down to the officer and how they feel on that day.
Agreed...remember, police can charge you but not convict. If you believe that a ticket was given without just cause, try contesting it.
Nagol,
I looked through your follow up posts and could not find the law to support your statement "You have to have a valid reason to have it" I'm curious what you are basing this on.
Thanks
stolen from a knife forum
Quote Originally Posted by Poparelli View Post
The main problem is that there is no definition of what makes one knife a weapon and another a tool.
This isn't true.
kage258 listed the appropriate definition from the Criminal Code. Note the italics:
"Weapon" means any thing used, designed to be used or intended for use
(a) in causing death or injury to any person, or
(b) for the purpose of threatening or intimidating any person and, without restricting the foregoing, includes a firearm.
A knife is a weapon when you use it as one. This includes displaying it to intimidate someone.
A knife is a weapon if it is designed as such. If it resembles various designs made for fighting, it's a weapon. For example, a dagger, having a double-edged blade.
Finally, a knife is a weapon when you intend to use it as one. For the law's purposes, that means that a knife is a weapon when a reasonable person wouldn't find a legitimate use for it. If the knife doesn't fit with where you are and what you're doing, it's going to be seen as a weapon.
This is not the same thing as "a knife is a weapon when a cop thinks it's a weapon." It's not as complicated or as arbitrary as people pretend.
A knife is a weapon when you're not behaving reasonably with it. A five-inch hunting knife in a city, for example, will be viewed as a weapon.
Whenever you have a knife concealed, the question is going to be, why did you conceal it?
"It's concealed because it's a folding pocket knife that you carry in your pocket, and so I was carrying it there" is a reasonable answer.
"It's concealed because I didn't want people to see it" is likely to get you into trouble, no matter what your reason for not wanting people to see it.
Again, the issue is with the officer, contest it if you can afford to buy a weapons related offence tends to stick to a persons record.
I was once told that when you say it's for self defense it 'become' illegal (or at least can get you in trouble) because you are saying you have it with the intention of harming someone, and thus it is now a weapon, not a tool. The same as when I first applied for my PALs in the course we were advised never to say we have the firearms for self defense, especially in your phone or other interview with the RCMP for the same reason. If you are telling them that you want to get weapons for self defense, you're (supposedly) telling them you are going to use it to harm someone and may thusly be rejected. While I'm not sure if that is actually the entire truth, it does make somewhat sense legally.
The advice I was always given for both firearms, knives, and any thing else, was that it is never for self defense even when it is. I usually carry a Swiss Army pocket knife for cutting boxes, ropes, etc at work and even around town. I have a totally valid reason for it, and it fits the purpose. While I would love to carry around my larger Buck knife on my belt, Nagol is right in that it attracts a lot more attention and becomes questionable to carry a hunting knife around in the city or at work.
Hey, just found this topic, I know in Alberta there is a Hunters Training course. Check fish & game wildlife to see if there is anything like that in your area. Your PAL/RPAL tests should have a course involved as well which will hopefully give you some familiarity with firearms.
I second the idea of a .22 or a shotgun. The .22 is decent gun to start with, its probably on e of the first guns we picked up when we were younger (meaning those that have been around guns most of their life). My first gun was a .22 single shot. My mom picked those specifically so that my brother & I learned that we only had 1 shot and to make it count.
A .22 is also a pretty good defense weapon. Its short, easily maneuverable in the house. Easy to shoot, very little risk fo destroying your home or someone outside and its very quiet compared to most other firearms. Its somethign you have to think about. A comedian I was watching the other day had a great point. Late at night, home intruder, shoot anything above a .22 and its L O U D and very bright flash. You'll be deaf & possibly blind after the first shot, NOT a good thing in this situation. A .22 on the other hand, its quiet, the flash isn't really that bad so you'll still be good. And I don't care who you are, how strong you are, you take a .22 anywhere and its gonna bloody hurt lol. You won't really kill a human with it, unless you're very good shot, which is probably a good thing with Canadian gunlaws. A .22 can take out any small game which can feed you in an emergency, and since its quieter, it won't give your position away as much as a larger hunting calibre would do.
I would also look into archery, if you don't go a compound bow route, you can learn to make your own arrows. Don't use wooden arrows on a compound bow, the forces involved can shatter them.
If you have questions about hunting, guns, anything like that, feel free to message me & I'll see what I can do to help you out.
Please remember never discuss using any sort of items as self defense items on public forums !!!!!!
as if you had to use them it would probably come back to haunt you in court !!!!
remembers as it is always easy that we don't have weapons in Canada we have Firearms.
Supermag
This is what bugs me about Canada. I am at risk of someone attacking me, because unfortunately stuff like that happens. But I'm not allowed to carry anything that I could use to defend myself. I'd be hard-pressed, with the things I do in life, to come up with any kind of legitimate reason to carry a knife.