Thompson councillors discussed knife bylaws in other municipalities and whether the city should emulate them at their March 7 committee of the whole meeting.
The issue was put on the agenda by Coun. Braden McMurdo and was based on the City of Brandon’s knife bylaw, which prohibits the unconcealed carrying of knives and other objects or tools that could be used as weapons and includes punishment of a fine of up to $1,000 or imprisonment for as long as six months.
Under the Brandon bylaw, people carrying knives for hunting or fishing purposes or their job are exempt from punishment, as are those taking them for sharpening or repair and people who wear them for religious purposes or as part of ceremonial attire.
Pocket knives with blades shorter than seven centimetres long are not prohibited by the Brandon bylaw.
“We enjoy the the disreputable honour of constantly being in amongst Canada’s most violent cities per capita,” said McMurdo. “Terms like 'machete kids' are our terms that we live with in Thompson. I wondered if there isn't something that this council can do or is interested in doing that might help, if we can create a mechanism that would give great routes to confiscate some of these weapons.”
Some councillors doubted whether such a bylaw would be effective in Thompson.
“I think if you want to deal with the crime issue in Thompson, you have to deal with it at the source as opposed to hitting freedom-loving people like myself, and people that are not criminals, and taking away their rights because of the ones that are trying to ruin it for everyone,” said Coun. Jeff Fountain.
Though he didn’t discount the idea outright, deputy mayor Brian Lundmark said he didn’t think working on a knife-specific bylaw would pack the biggest punch when it comes to improving public safety.
“I think it's poor behaviour and habits that are our core problem right now and I want to try and focus on those.”
In the case of crimes with knives committed by youths, Coun. Earl Colbourne said even the Criminal Code doesn’t dissuade them.
“You think you're gonna punish a 13-year-old for carrying a weapon?” he said. “You’re crazy because there's no charges, there's nothing because they’re young offenders.”
Others, including councillors Les Ellsworth and Kathy Valentino, suggested a better route might be to restrict the sale of knives to people 18 and over, as is the case with bear spray.
“When you can get a 10-, 12-year-old walk into a business downtown … and obtain a machete, there is something wrong in our community,” said Ellsworth.
Fountain had less of a problem with the idea of restricting the sale of some knives.
“This is a community that needs bear mace,” he said. “It may not be a community that needs machetes.”
Earlier in the meeting, McMurdo had asked Thompson RCMP officer-in-charge Staff Sgt. Jenny Melanson if such a bylaw would be helpful to police.
“A bylaw’s up to the leaders of a community,” she said, noting that it would have to apply to everybody. “If there’s a criminal offence with a weapon, we will charge.”
Under Canada’s Criminal Code, a weapon is defined as anything used, designed or intended for use to hurt, injure or threaten a person. Carrying a concealed weapon is a crime and certain types of knives, like switchblades, stilettos and butterfly knives are classified as prohibited weapons, possession of which is also a crime.
