KAPUSKASING – The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry wants to remind everyone to handle firearms safely, and that Crown land is for the use and enjoyment of all Ontarians.
On October 8, 2018, during the open hunting season for moose, two hunters in a side-by-side ATV were scouting areas looking for moose. They encountered a third hunter who was walking along an old logging road. They reported that the hunter blocked their access to the area and during an altercation, pointed her firearm at the hunters in the ATV and told them to leave the area.
The incident was jointly investigated by the James Bay OPP, and the Hearst MNRF Enforcement Unit. OPP investigated the criminal matter of pointing a firearm. Conservation officers investigated the violations of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act (FWCA).
On September 11, 2019, in Kapuskasing Provincial Offences Court before Justice of the Peace Jean-Marie Blier, Marie Paule Lebel pleaded guilty to the FWCA offences of using a firearm carelessly to hunt and to interfere with lawful hunting.
Lebel received a 10-year hunting suspension and she will need to retake the Ontario Hunter Education Program and pass the exam before being allowed to purchase a hunting licence again in Ontario.
The criminal matter of pointing a firearm was heard separately.
Ministry conservation officers work tirelessly to help make sure we can all enjoy Ontario’s natural resources in a safe and respectful manner. To report a natural resource violation, call the ministry TIPS line at 1-877-847-7667 toll-free, or contact your local ministry office. You can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS.
The MNRF state that they need your help to solve cases. Please visit ontario.ca/mnrftips to view an interactive, searchable map of unsolved cases. You may have valuable information that can help.
