Legal Oddities (Part II): Funny weird laws still on the books in Alberta.

Think you’re not breaking the law? Think again!

In our last post, we outlined some of the quirky laws in the Canadian Criminal Code. In this second installment, we’ll explore some strange laws still in effect in Alberta.

Provincial Laws

In the province of Alberta, it is illegal to:

Keep a rat as a pet.

Since 1950, Alberta has designated the Norway Rat to be “one of the most destructive creatures known to man” and has designated them to be a pest. As such Alberta is the largest rat-free area in the world.

Paint a wooden ladder.

According to the 2013 Occupational Health and Safety Code, it is not lawful to paint a portable wooden ladder, so that users may easily determine their condition and safety. They can however be covered in a “transparent protective coating that won’t conceal any defects.” Let it never be said that Alberta’s ladder laws aren’t transparent!

Municipal Laws

In the city of Calgary, it is not legal to:

Throw snowballs without a permit.

An old bylaw in Calgary makes it illegal for anyone to throw snowballs within city limits without express consent from the mayor or city council.

Place your feet on a public bench.

According to bylaw 54M2006, it is not lawful for a person to “stand or put his feet on the top or surface of any table, bench, planter or sculpture placed in any public place”. Mind where you tie your shoelaces in Calgary!

In the city of Edmonton, it’s illegal to:

Smell bad.

In case there was any confusion regarding the federal law on public odors we mentioned in our last post, the city of Edmonton took things a step further by with the Community Standards Bylaw which bans the “production of any generally offensive odours” not just in public, but in general use of land. Apparently we Canadians (especially Edmontonians) take hygiene very seriously!

*If you’ve been charged with malodorous intent, click here to speak with a criminal lawyer.

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Legal Oddities (Part I): Funny weird laws still on the books in Canada

Think you’re not breaking the law? Think again!

We often think of the law as something born from logic – on the books to serve some end. While this is true for most laws, there are some that seem devoid of reason. This often a result of not aging well: while they may have made sense when they were originally passed, they lack relevance in the modern era. The following are some strange laws that many Canadians likely don’t know they’re breaking.

In Canada, it is illegal to:

Pretend to practice witchcraft

Harry Potter fans beware! According to the Canadian Criminal Code, it is illegal to pretend to perform any kind of “witchcraft, sorcery, enchantment or conjuration”. Note that it’s perfectly legal to perform magic legitimately – just be prepared to prove it!

Watch, or participate in immoral theatrical performances.

This restriction falls under Canada’s anti-obscenity laws. If you think this one hasn’t been used recently, think again. In 2005, a strip-club was fined $7,500 not for nudity, but for the use of sex toys during a performance.

Offend a public place with a bad smell.

Though aimed at preventing the use of stink-bombs and the like in public places, the wording of this law prohibits any “offensive volatile substance” (smell) that causes “discomfort” in public places. Pass gas at your own peril in Canada!

Distribute comic books depicting characters performing illegal acts.

A leftover of the moral panic of the 1950s, under the section of the Canadian Criminal Code outlining “Offenses tending to Corrupt Morals”, it is illegal to distribute “crime comics”, defined as being any publication that “substantially comprises matter depicting pictorially […] the commission of crimes, real or fictitious”. Technically, this means that Batman comics are contraband.

Advertise Erectile Dysfunction Drugs

This is another one of those “Offenses tending to Corrupt Morals”. Originally aimed at stopping fraudsters from selling fake remedies for virility, the law does not consider remedies that are actually proven to work. Sorry Viagra!

*If you’re looking for a criminal lawyer in Edmonton, click here.

*For more information on Canadian laws that actually make sense, click here to read about new impaired driving laws.

 

 

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