ontario regulation 165/26

made under the

Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997

Made: June 4, 2026
Filed: June 4, 2026
Published on e-Laws: June 5, 2026
Published in The Ontario Gazette: June 20, 2026

Amending O. Reg. 667/98

(TRAPPING)

1. Section 2 of Ontario Regulation 667/98 is amended by adding the following subsections:

(3) Despite subsection (2), the Minister may issue an authorization to a holder of a trapping licence to harass, capture or kill beaver on the following land, if the Minister is satisfied that the authorization is necessary for the purpose of preventing damage to property or infrastructure caused by the beaver and such damage could not be prevented otherwise under the Act or its regulations:

1. On Crown land that is specified in the authorization.

2. On land, other than Crown land, that is specified in the authorization, provided the holder of the trapping licence also has the written permission of a person legally entitled to give it.

(4) Subsection (2) does not apply to a holder of a trapping licence who acts in accordance with an authorization issued under subsection (3).

2. (1) The English version of clause 8 (1) (c) of the Regulation is amended by striking out “he or she has” and substituting “they have”.

(2) The English version of subsection 8 (2) of the Regulation is revoked and the following substituted:

(2) The holder of a trapping licence may hunt or trap on land that they own or on land on which they have permission to trap, if the land is within or adjacent to the registered trapline area designated in their licence.

3. The English version of subsection 10 (2) of the Regulation is revoked and the following substituted:

(2) The head trapper is responsible for ensuring compliance with the Act and the regulations even though they may use helper trappers to assist in hunting or trapping under their licence.

4. (1) Subsection 11 (3) of the Regulation is revoked.

(2) The English version of paragraph 2 of subsection 11 (5.1) of the Regulation is amended by striking out “he or she is” in the portion before subparagraph i and substituting “they are”.

(3) Paragraph 3 of subsection 11 (5.1) of the Regulation is revoked and the following substituted:

3. The licence holder shall not carry or use a firearm unless they,

i. hold an outdoors card issued under Ontario Regulation 665/98 (Hunting) and meet the requirements to obtain a hunting licence set out in section 11 or 12 of that Regulation, and

ii. share a single firearm with a trapper under whose supervision they are hunting or trapping.

(4) The English version of subsection 11 (5.2) of the Regulation is amended by striking out “he or she” and substituting “they”.

(5) The English version of subsection 11 (5.4) of the Regulation is amended by striking out “he or she” and substituting “they”.

5. The English version of paragraph 3 of subsection 11.1 (1) of the Regulation is amended by striking out “he or she has” and substituting “they have”.

6. The English version of clause 12 (2) (b) of the Regulation is amended by striking out “legally killed by him or her” and substituting “that they have legally killed”.

7. The English version of subsection 13 (2) of the Regulation is amended by striking out “his or her” in the portion before paragraph 1 and substituting “their”.

8. The English version of subsection 15 (2) of the Regulation is amended by striking out “him or her” in the portion before clause (a) and substituting “them”.

9. Paragraphs 1 to 4 of subsection 27.1 (2) of the Regulation are revoked and the following substituted:

1. The person may only use a firearm that exclusively uses rim-fire cartridges to kill a furbearing mammal.

2. The person may only have a firearm un-encased and loaded if it is a firearm that exclusively uses rim-fire cartridges, subject to paragraphs 3 and 4.

3. The person shall keep the firearm that uses rim-fire cartridges encased and unloaded until the person is in the immediate vicinity of the furbearing mammal that the person has lawfully trapped.

4. The person shall unload and encase the firearm that uses rim-fire cartridges immediately after the furbearing mammal has been killed.

Commencement

10. (1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, this Regulation comes into force on the later of July 1, 2026 and the day this Regulation is filed.

(2) Section 1 comes into force on the later of January 1, 2027 and the day this Regulation is filed.