Liberal Minority Government 2025 - ???

[Halifax Tar]

Based on past performance, what are the odds you'd actually get anything?

Usually 2 deer. Lots of grouse and a few rabbits; rabbits aren't my favorite. I would like more black bear in my freezer though.

 

[ArmyRick]

Nobody should be lighting their hair on fire and going into the woods.

Challenge accepted.

 

[foresterab]

I guess my question is it an option to issue a ticket for a smaller set fine for this offence? $28 Gs seems a little hefty for a first time offence of this nature unless there’s no set fine. Then the judge would have to set the fine with $28 Gs as a maximum.

Looks like the legislation was adjusted in early August where it's a set amount fine - no discretion options.

https://novascotia.ca/just/regulations/regs/2025-160.pdf

Previously it appears it was $180 fine but was adjusted in response to conditions.

https://novascotia.ca/just/regulations/regs/2025-159.pdf

For comparison in Alberta the penalty for entering a closed zone is $600.

https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/93086b88-01ed-4de8-a206-44716d501912/resource/1cd3351e-b2f9-4ae2-9047-80a5d454674f/download/af-fppa-specified-penalties-2020-04-14.pdf

Or for BC it's $1,150 if I read this right (not my usual circus of legislation)

Wildfire Act and Wildfire Regulation fines

On April 1, 2016, increased fines for a variety of wildfire-related violation tickets came into force.

www2.gov.bc.ca

New Brunswick appears to be a $140 fine for entry into a restricted area + surcharge.

Province of N.B. bans use of Crown land due to fire risk

The province issues a bans all activity on Crown land and asks the public to stay out of the woods given the "unprecedented" wildfire circumstances. The province of New Brunswick has issued

chco.tv

Starting a fire during the ban...those penalties also range widely.

For comparison I use $10,000 per tanker drop/group (so 5 AT-802's or 3 CL-215's or 1 L-188) as a starting point on costs incurred....and that's old math for hand grenade calculations.

 

[Jarnhamar]

It looks like the $28,000 fine in NS extends to walking in woods belonging to your friend, on your friends private property.

Maybe NS will issue stay inside warnings during periods of climate crisis and fine people accordingly.

 

[Quirky]

It looks like the $28,000 fine in NS extends to walking in woods belonging to your friend, on your friends private property.

What's considered "woods"? Density of the forest? What if I'm playing golf and a ball goes into the "woods", can I go look for? I wouldn't want to lose a stroke AND pay $28,000.

 

[lenaitch]

What's considered "woods"? Density of the forest? What if I'm playing golf and a ball goes into the "woods", can I go look for? I wouldn't want to lose a stroke AND pay $28,000.

It seems pretty non-specific. The two sections of their Fire Safety Act relate to the elevated fines that were linked are:

Section 17
- Unless this Act or the regulations otherwise prescribe, every owner of land or premises, or a part thereof, and every person shall take every precaution that is reasonable in the circumstances to achieve fire safety and to carry out the provisions of this Act, the regulations and the Fire Code.

and

Section 44(1)(g)

- fails to comply with an order made pursuant to this Act, the regulations or the Fire Code

I didn't delve into it too deeply but it seems the order can come from a Fire Marshal or Fire Inspector. I would have thought it would be something like a ministerial order affecting public lands. I might be missing something.

The amount cited is the out-of-court 'set fine'. An accused could opt to go to court and if found guilty, receive pretty much any penalty the court decides so long as it is within the limits of the law.

In Ontario, set fines as well as the wordings to be used on an offence notice, are established by the Chief Justice of the Ontario Court of Justice (old 'provincial court') and set in regulations under the Provincial Offences Act.

 

[kratz]

What's considered "woods"? Density of the forest? What if I'm playing golf and a ball goes into the "woods", can I go look for? I wouldn't want to lose a stroke AND pay $28,000.

Part of what complicates lenaitch's response is that NS allows for free access to walk and fish along uncultivated public or private land for recreational proposes., absent current provincial restrictions. This access does not extend to ATVs or other vehicles on private land. Landowners may apply trespass restrictions, but those are challenging.

 

[foresterab]

Part of what complicates lenaitch's response is that NS allows for free access to walk and fish along uncultivated public or private land for recreational proposes., absent current provincial restrictions. This access does not extend to ATVs or other vehicles on private land. Landowners may apply trespass restrictions, but those are challenging.

Thanks for the distinction kratz.

In Alberta private is private. Unoccupied crown lands are normally free to access for recreation and forest closures are only for Crown Lands....if your land borders the Crown Land you're still required to stay off the crown land. This is a very rare condition to be in though and I've only seen it a few times in Extreme conditions in a small portion of province.

Even ATV bans often exempt personal use on personal lands only to cover folks needing them for farming/livestock etc. Using them to pop over the neighbor is when the complaints come in...and crown land use is out unless pre-approved exemptions like farmers.

So many nuances between provincial laws, land jurisdictions and response capacities makes it a challenging one to compare against. On the other hand thankfully we're nowhere as complex as the US states.