Officials with the Ontario government say that they will be freezing fee increases on hunting in Ontario and removing the $2 service fee. In addition to freezing fees, the Ford government is changing hunting regulations including a new Licence Summary that can be stored on a mobile device or printed at home as well as paper tags set to replace game seals.
“This will put approximately $1.6 million back into the pockets of the hard-working people of Ontario,” says John Yakabuski, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry.
The announcement was made January 10th, 2019 by the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, John Yakabuski, who believes these changes will encourage Ontarian’s to get out and get active.
“The hunting industry contributes nearly half a billion dollars to the Ontario economy,” said Minister Yakabuski. The provincial government hopes to encourage and praise hunters as “some of the best stewards of our lands,” he continues.
According to Thursday’s release, hunting is worth over $431 million in Ontario and removing these fees and waiving service charges saves Ontarian’s approximately $4.3 million. The Ford government has also added two new licence-free fishing events in 2019 on the weekends of Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. More information on the changes to regulations and fees can be found through Government of Ontario.
