Thursday, May 3, 2012

Legal knife carrying in Canada

Great knife, small hunter. Small knife, great hunter.
-Sámi saying
I've been carrying a knife on me for years – I actually feel a little awkward and naked if I'm not carrying. I grew up in a remote rural area where almost everyone, men in particular, carried a knife on a daily basis. My first grade teacher actually taught us that if you went hiking without a knife, you could just as well have left your right hand at home. I believe that a knife is the single most useful tool you can have on you, and I try to teach the kids to respect and appreciate a good blade.

As a newcomer to Canada I wanted to find out which laws I needed to know about, so as not to get in trouble with the law and have my knife taken away from me, or worse. Having researched this a fair bit, I have come to a conclusion: Barring a few definitives, what kind of blade, and where you can carry it, it largely comes down to common sense.