Law controlling machete sales goes into effect

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Manitoba Justice Minister Matt Wiebe ended 2024 by finalizing legislation governing the sales of machetes and other long-blade weapons.

Bill 39, the Long-bladed Weapon Control Act, is intended to restrict access to edged weapons exceeding 30 centimetres in length, which have, increasingly, become tools of criminal violence, Wiebe said.

“We’re happy to come into the new year with this important piece of legislation in effect,” the minister said in a statement Tuesday.

“We want to see the number of machetes being used as weapons decreased on our streets and more Manitobans feeling safe.”

The act was announced in October, but did not officially take effect until Tuesday. The new rules prohibit sales of any long-bladed weapons to youth under 18, while adults must provide photo identification and personal information.

Retailers are required to lock away the items from shoppers and keep sales records for a minimum of two years.

Some tools are exempt from the rules, including hedge trimmers, saws and pruning shears.

Wiebe said the NDP developed the act in partnership with people in law enforcement who provided advice on how machetes are acquired by criminals.

The legislation has the Winnipeg Police Service’s support, Supt. Brian Miln said in a statement, echoing comments he made when the act was announced.

Provincial inspectors will enforce the act. They have the power to ensure compliance with sales restrictions, record-keeping and inventory-tracking requirements, a provincial spokesperson said.

Enforcement will be critical to the success of the act, longtime Winnipeg activist Sel Burrows told the Free Press.

“The bad guys learn what they can get away with, and if they hear somebody is getting nailed for stuff, they stop doing it,” Burrows said. “This is not the end of crime, but… for people in the inner city, the machete is a very, very dangerous weapon and it is used threateningly,”

Disobeying the act can result in fines of up to $5,000 for businesses on their first offence, and up to $10,000 for subsequent violations. Corporations can also face penalties, with fines up to $25,000 on a first offence and $100,000 for further violations.

Burrows was the only registered presenter to speak during a legislative review of the machete bill in November. He said he began discussing the issue with Wiebe shortly after the NDP’s October 2023 election victory.

He’d discussed such legislation with Wiebe’s predecessor, former justice minister Kelvin Goertzen, whose government introduced similar regulations for the sale of bear spray.

Wiebe previously told the Free Press the machete legislation was modelled after the bear spray rules, which resulted in a 25 per cent reduction in crimes involving the noxious spray.

Daniel Hidalgo, founder of youth support group CommUNITY204, also voiced support for the new rules.

Many machete attacks detailed in police news releases over the last year have been about youths — including as recently as last weekend, when three teens were allegedly involved in a life-altering attack against a man in his 20s.

“Anything that limits careless accessibility will ultimately promote safety, and I think that’s really huge,” Hidalgo said.

“It allows folks that do make those purchases, and retail organizations that sell those items, to take a lot more accountability for where those items end up and how they’re being utilized.”

Tory justice critic Wayne Balcaen said the laws should be expanded.

“Any legislation that’s going to protect Manitobans I’m going to be supportive of,” Balcaen told the Free Press. “But even when this was introduced, I certainly didn’t think it was cutting-edge as far as the legislation; it was pretty dull.”

Balcaen, a former Brandon police chief, said language in the act should explicitly target “straw” purchasers. The term refers to people who buy weapons legally and then sell them to unauthorized buyers.

The current legislation allow for individuals to face fines, but does not specify the circumstances described by Balcaen. Inspectors cannot enter a private dwelling, except with a warrant or the express consent of the owner or occupant.

Balcaen also expressed concern over how the province will regulate online sales through major distributors such as Amazon, Walmart, Canadian Tire and Home Depot.

Wiebe said earlier this month he sent letters to such businesses informing them of the legislation and asking them to comply.

The Free Press reached out to each distributor for an update Tuesday, but there were no replies.

— With files from the Canadian Press

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca