There are some crazy laws out there. Many made sense at one time, but have become outdated and seem weird now. Some would be crazy in any place or time and others just cannot be explained.
In Etobicoke, Ont., a bylaw stated that no more than 3.5 inches of water is allowed in a bathtub.
In Kanata, Ont., the colour of landowners’ houses and garage doors is actually regulated by the city administration. It is also illegal to have a clothesline in your backyard.
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In Ontario, most public roadways have a speed limit of 80 km/h. But on most public roadways, bicycles legally have the right of way. There must be some awfully fast cyclists in Ontario to be passing cars doing 80.
Ontario is not limited to strange statutes. Weird lawsuits have also happened there.
For example, Waddah Mustapha, a hair stylist, bought a bottle of water and found one whole fly and one partial fly in it – both dead. He freaked out and sued the water supplier.
He claimed that witnessing it caused him severe psychological damage, including going into a major depressive state. At trial, he was successful and was awarded a judgment in excess of $300,000. The water supplier successfully appealed and the judgment was struck down by the Ontario Court of Appeal.
Mustapha appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada, which unanimously ruled against him in May 2008.
For many years, Nova Scotia apparently had a law saying you couldn’t water your lawn if it was raining. Perhaps this law was passed during a period of severe drought and never got taken off the books.
It is illegal to carry a lizard on your shoulders in Fredericton, N. B., or to wear a snake in public in the Maritimes.
If you’re taking your snake or lizard or turtle out for a walk, make sure it’s in a cage or on a secure leash.
In Montreal, a city ordinance prevents anyone from having a for sale sign in a moving vehicle. It’s fine if the vehicle is parked.
Remember it’s illegal there to park your vehicle blocking your own driveway. There is also a law prohibiting washing your vehicle on a public street.
Some of these things do make you scratch your head and wonder why.
If you’re aware of any ridiculous laws still in force in your home locale, send them in to me. I’ll check them out and perhaps publish them in a future column.
