Hunting is illegal within city limits

Every year at this time, when small game and migratory bird hunting season opens, the calls start coming in to Timmins Police.

Property owners in areas like Kraft Creek Road, Shirley Street North, Jaguar Drive and Sandy Falls Road report that hunting is too close for comfort in their areas.

TPS communications coordinator Marc Depatie:

“These are deemed to be rural areas, but they’re residential in nature and there are some industrial set-ups in these areas as well.”

In these cases,  a municipal bylaw overlaps with provisions of the Criminal Code covering this illegal activity.  Depatie recommends you hunt further into the bush. The excuse that “I didn’t know” doesn’t work.

“The obligation to be aware of where you are and whether or not it is legal to engage in small game hunting or migratory bird hunting in theat particular area lies directly on the shoulders of the individual sportsman.”

It’s an obvious public safety issue.  Here is the city bylaw prohibiting using firearms within city limits.

CITY OF TIMMINS BY-LAW NO. 1991-3778

BEING A BY-LAW OF The Corporation of the City of Timmins to regulate and prohibit the discharge of fire-arms.

WHEREAS pursuant to Section 210 Paragraph 29 of The Municipal Act, R.S.O. 1980, Chapter 302 as amended, by-laws may be passed by the councils of local municipalities to regulate and prohibit the discharge of fire-arms in the municipality or in any defined area or areas thereof;

AND WHEREAS it is deemed expedient to enact a by-law for such purposes;

NOW THEREFORE the Council of The Corporation of the City of Timmins enacts as follows:

1. That Town of Timmins By-Law No.898, No. 2016 and Improvement District of Mountjoy By-Law No. 80 and Township of Tisdale By-Law No. 1241 and City of Timmins By-Law 1974-365 and Township of Whitney By-Law 434 is hereby repealed.
2. Definitions in this By-law:

(1) “fire-arms” means a gun or any other type of weapon including air-guns, spring-guns, cross-bows, long- bows, or any class or type thereof.

3. No person shall discharge a firearm in any of the following defined areas situate within the City of Timmins.

(1) All of that part of lots 1 to 5 inclusive in the N1⁄2 of the 3rd. Concession to 6th. Concession in the

geographic area of the Township of Cody;

(2) All of that part of lots 1 to 12 inclusive in the 4th. to 6th. Concessions in the geographic area of the Township of Deloro;

(3) That Part of lots 7, 8 and 9 in the 4th. Concession, lots 8 and 9 in the 5th. Concession in the geographic area of the Township of Evelyn which is situate within ONE HUNDRED TWENTY (120) METRES from the shoreline of Ice Chest Lake;

(4) All of that part of the SW1⁄4 of the S1⁄2 of lot 8 in the 5th. Concession, the NW1⁄4 of the N1⁄2 of lot 8 in the 4th. Concession, SE1⁄4 of the S1⁄2 of lot 9 in the 5th. Concession, the NE1⁄4 of the N1⁄2 of lot 9 in the 4^th Concession, lot 8 to lot 12 inclusive in 6th. Concession in the geographic area of the Township of German;

(5) That part of the N1⁄2 of lots 6 and 7 in the 5th. Concession and the S1⁄2 of lots 6 and 7 in the 6^th Concession, in the geographic area of the Township of German which is situate within ONE HUNDRED TWENTY (120) METRES from the shoreline of Barbers Bay;

(6) That part of the S1⁄2 of lot 8 in the 4th. Concession and the N1⁄2 of lot 8 in the 3rd. Concession, in the geographic area of the Township of German which is situate within ONE HUNDRED TWENTY (120) METRES from the shoreline of Charland Lake;

(7) All of that part of lots 1 to 5 inclusive in the 1st. to 4th. Concessions, lots 6 to 8 inclusive in the 1st. and 2nd. Concession and the S1⁄2 of lots 1 to 3 inclusive in the 5th. Concession in the geographic area of the Township of Hoyle;

*BY-LAW 93-4018

(8) That part of the geographic Township of Jessop consisting of a strip of land 300 metres in width along both sides of Highway 629;

(9) All of that Part of lot 1 and the N1⁄2 of lot 2 in the 3rd. Concession, lots 1 to 5 inclusive in the 4th. and 5^th Concession, lots 1 to 6 inclusive in the 6th Concession in the geographic area of the Township of Kidd;

(10) All of that Part of lot 12 in the 1st. to 4th. Concessions in the geographic area of the Township of Matheson;

(11) All of the geographic area in the Township of Mountjoy;

(12) All of that part of lots 7 to 9 inclusive in the 5th. Concession in the geographic area of the Township of Murphy;

(13) All of that part of lots 1 to 12 inclusive in the 3rd. to 6th. Concessions in the geographic area of the Township of Ogden;

(14) That part of lots 2 to 5 inclusive in the 2nd., 3rd., and 4th. Concessions in the geographic area of the Township of Robb which is situate within ONE HUNDRED TWENTY (120) METRES from the shoreline of Kamiskotia Lake;

(15) That part of lots 1 and 2 inclusive in 4th Concession in the geographic area of the Township of Thornloe which is situate within ONE HUNDRED TWENTY (120) METRES from the shoreline of Hydro Bay;

(16) All of that part of lots 2 and 3 inclusive in the 5th. Concession in the geographic area of the Township of Thorneloe;

(17) All of the geographic area in the Township of Tisdale;

(18) All of the geographic area in the Township of Whitney;

*BY-LAW 1992-3882

(19) All of that part of lots 9 to 12 inclusive in the 5th. and 6th. Concessions in the geographic area of the Township of Shaw;

4. Exemptions

(1) That the Council of the Corporation of the City of Timmins, may upon application, issue a permit for such discharge of fire-arms, within the defined areas as outlined in Section 3, as may be necessary at a military funeral or at a trap shooting tournament or sporting event, any athletic or aquatic competitions, or to enable any club to carry on shooting events upon premises ccupied for that purpose.

5. Penalties

(1) Every person who contravenes any provisions of this By-law is guilty of an offence and liable upon conviction to a fine of not more than $5,000.00 exclusive of costs as authorized by The Provincial Offenses Act, Section 62, R.S.O. 1980 Chapter 400 as amended.