The provincial government has introduced legislation that would regulate the sale of machetes, swords and other long-bladed weapons.
“Our government is committed to getting tough on crime, and this new legislation would help keep our communities safer by restricting access to weapons such as machetes, knives and swords,” Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said in a news release Wednesday.
“We’ve heard loud and clear: the purchase of these weapons needs to be restricted. We’re pleased to be moving forward to take real action to make our streets safer.”
Bill 39, the long-bladed weapon control act, aims to limit the supply of long-bladed weapons by requiring retailers to securely store the weapons when on display, check the photo identification of buyers and keep transaction details for at least two years.
The bill would also prohibit minors from buying such weapons and would apply to online retailers shipping such weapons to Manitoba addresses.
The bill defines long-bladed weapons as having a metal blade at least 30 centimetres in length. The release said the definition could be expanded through the bill’s regulations to include certain features or characteristics.
The minister added the province plans to consult with retailers, law enforcement and Indigenous leadership to develop regulations in the coming months.
The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and the Manitoba Association of Chiefs of Police said in the release that they support the bill.
“Edged weapon and machete attacks have dramatically increased in the last number of years, the consequences of which can cause significant life-altering injuries or sometimes be fatal. This legislation is another tool to assist law enforcement in keeping these weapons out of the hands of the gang and criminal elements,” association president Scot Halley said in the release.
The NDP government said on Oct. 2, the day the fall sitting of the legislative assembly began, that it planned to introduce legislation this month to further control the sales of machetes.
Wiebe alluded to a possible crackdown on machetes in early August after Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation Chief Angela Levasseur renewed a call to regulate sales of the weapon after a woman in the community was attacked with a machete in June, followed by another weeks later in which a man was severely hurt.
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