Moving to Vancouver BC, Carry laws?

psy-ops

psy-ops

Joined
Sep 27, 1999
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I am moving to BC, this summer. What are the carry laws pertaining to fixed blade lengths and folder lengths?

I am totally excited about being in the northwest woods again.
 
I don't think there are any stipulations providing you are in forest etc !!!
 
I understand that they have the highest number of mountain lions in North America. I would carry.
 
I am going to grad school.

I am defintely interested in the carry laws with in city limits of Vancouver. I usually carry fixed blade concealed.
 
The laws and the police are relaxed as long as you are upfront about what you are carrying and not doing illegal activities. Carry large knives outside clothing in the sheath, or "boyscout" carry for a little concealment. The people are really great. NONE of the "oh my gosh, terrorists are everywhere, but really only in america" attitudes we get here from alot of the "police". They have much more strict laws on handguns, or really guns in general.
 
There are no laws on blade length but rather what you can explain as a legitimate tool to an officer if asked. In the bush a large knife is fine but it would be tough to explain that as a tool rather than a potential weapon in downtown Van. Oh, and double-edged blades are out. Basically if you're carrying a practical blade design you'll be fine but if it looks like a "fighting knife" it could cause you problems.
 
Thanks.

I actually lived in Vancouver for 6 months in the early 90's. I carried while I was there but forgot. I did a bunch of hunting while I was there, carried a SRK.

It was awesome.
 
I couldn't find my pdf with the regs all in one place so I did an online search for the potentially applicable ones in this context:

From the Criminal Code of Canada:
90. (1) Every person commits an offence who carries a weapon, a prohibited device or any prohibited ammunition concealed, unless the person is authorised under the Firearms Act to carry it concealed.
Click to expand...

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 The device known as the “Constant Companion”, being a belt containing a blade capable of being withdrawn from the belt, with the buckle of the belt forming a handle for the blade, and any similar device.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”...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...
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...
Click to expand...

"prohibited weapon" means

(a) a knife that has a blade that opens automatically by gravity or centrifugal force or by hand pressure applied to a button, spring or other device in or attached to the handle of the knife, or

(b) any weapon, other than a firearm, that is prescribed to be a prohibited weapon;
Click to expand...

And this one IIRC leaves in up to the opinion of the individual LEO:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
Click to expand...

And that's just the federal stuff...there's more.
 
which university do you plan on coming to for your grad schooling?

if your thinking of coming to simon fraser university... be warned... we have a huge network of trails on the mountain that lead everywhere from burnaby to coquitlam and even the waters near barnett highway :) great hiking trails but gotta watch out for them damned mountain bikers.

carrying is fine, i've carried alot of different blades with me in the woods but on the street usually carry a sak or a spyderco endura or a multitool.

double edge knives can be purchased for "collectors" purposes or martial arts training (warriors and wonders DOES carry the tai pan which is double edged as well as the double edged triple action) however trying to justify a double edged dagger for working is going to be kinda hard.

the crime rate in vancouver is fairly low, so a fixed blade for self defence is not really necessary. also it would depend on which area of vancouver you plan on living. i've only once ever come into a situation where a knife and some talking was necessary to get a few guys to back off and at the time i had my spyderco endura with me.

while i was up in squamish i walked into the tim hortons with a swisstool on my belt and a grohmann r4 survival knife (fixed blade) and nobody gave me a second look while i was buying coffee and donuts. (nothing like some good ol tin bits for hunting and fishing eh fellas? :D)

but for general edc purposes i'd say small fixed blade or sak or multitool would be best.

welcome to vancouver btw :D

you'll love our hunting, fishing, camping, kayaking, canoeing, and hiking.

plus the weathers been getting better lately

cheers
 
I was recently at SFU and noticed they had a very visible presence of rentacops all around the "school area", even on Saturdays and Sundays. There probably will be issues unless you use discretion. I didn't see them much outside of the built up areas (and most of "sfu" isn't built up)

That said, parts of Vancouver relatively close to SFU can be somewhat questionable and there are parts that you're better off just avoiding, packing or not (such as the downtown east side around Hastings - you're not really missing anything though, unless you're looking for hookers with aids and herpes sores, junkies and the mentally ill)

In order to maintain a "border" between the crappy part and downtown proper (the distance between which is only about 1.5 km), the cops, from what I've seen, basically park a paddy wagon and several patrol cars on the "border" and will toss questionable looking people into the wagon. My impression was that very little is tolerated at the "checkpoint" and something that may be perfectly acceptable elsewhere may earn you an ass kicking there. I fully expect that area will be cleaned up for the Olympics, and I don't see that cleansing being pretty.

Also - some cities in greater van have their own police forces, where the unwritten rules will be different.
 
Cool man, let us know when you arrive!

I carry a scrapyard guard regularly...every day i'm working anyway! The only way to really get in trouble for carrying a knife is to be either a) carrying something specifically named in the regs (like an auto) or b) to be carrying with the intent to use it on someone in an illegal manner.

If you are carrying a knife because you cut things with it you're golden.

I was crutching my way around the downtown eastside last night after going to the No. 5 Orange...had a Bark River Aurora on my belt the whole time, never gave it a second thought.
 
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