Today there is an article in the Toronto Sun at http://www.canoe.ca/TorontoNews/ts.ts-12-07-0002.html stating that the Federal Government is prepared to invoke martial law should the need arise. It continues on to say that under martial law it is illegal to hoard supplies and that individuals may be arrested and jailed for up to 5 years as well as a fine imposed.

I tried to access the Revenue Canada site to obtain more info on this such as 1) is it only after martial law is imposed that the gathering of supplies would be considered "hoarding" or does that mean that people to have made preparations in advance when supplies are plentiful would also be subject to arrest? 2) does martial law also give the government the power to confiscate supplies acquired prior to martial law being invoked?

If anyone has already researched this area, I would greatly appreciate your input.

I've been following this site for quite some time even though it's been a long time since I've posted I do keep up on the reading each week as the newsletters are sent. I've definately seen a decline in the number of people participating, however there is still some interesting threads on the go. Good luck to all.

-- boots (clowd@ebtech.net), December 08, 1999

Answers

From: Y2K, ` la Carte by Dancr (pic), near Monterey, California

My understanding of martial law is that what is not disallowed is required. Which laws are kept and which are swept away is basically up to whoever is in control. There is no telling in advance what will be proclamed. Punishments can be harsh and can easily come without warning. It will not necessarily be looked upon favorably to be self sufficient. In the words of Porky Pig: Be vewwy vewwy cawefuw.

-- Dancr (addy.available@my.webpage), December 08, 1999.

From Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary: (1) hoard n{ME,hord,fr.OE;akin to Gk kysthos vulva,OE hydan to hide]: a hidden supply or fund stored up (2) hoard vt 1: to lay up a hoard of 2: to keep to oneself : CHERISH : to lay up a hoard.

From the above definition I think hoarding would be the process of currently building a stash of something ( food, fuel, parts, etc ) while a hoard would constitute the stash itself.

So it depends, what has been made illegal hoards or hoarding ?

My only solution, live in a town small enough where there could be no central location ( school,police station,etc) for collection and redistribution of food or else live way out in the country miles from any town so that trips for food rations would be impratical.

-- Stanley Lucas (StanleyLucas@WebTv.net), December 08, 1999.

Today I mentioned to the girl at work about the article on Martial Law in yesterday's newspaper and even though she hadn't read the article she said that's really funny, because they were just discussing that this morning on the "Today Show". They indicated in their discussions that ALL SUPPLIES ARE SUBJECT TO SEIZURE, regardless of whether they were acquired while supplies were still plentiful prior to martial law being invoked.

While this isn't exactly any official answer through documentation, I would certainly hope that the producers of that show would have researched the topic prior to making those types of statements.

Still hoping to receive some type of info on a more official level.

Good luck all!!!

-- boots (clowd@ebtech.net), December 09, 1999.

The site for the Canadian "Emergencies Act" in text form has been located at http://www.canada.justice.gc.ca/FTP/EN/Laws/Chap/E/E-4.5.txt

-- boots (clowd@ebtech.net), December 11, 1999.

If hoarding is building a stash and a hoard is a stash that has been completed, I had to wonder what is a hoard in which the items are currently being used ?

The answer is a PANTRY, from Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary 1: a room or closet used for storing provisions or glassware and china or from which food is brought to the table.

Still, if it gets bad enough that they start shooting people for refusing to turn over excess food, perhaps you should give it up, isn't it the point to stay alive as long as possible ?

-- Stanley Lucas (StanleyLucas@WebTv.net), December 11, 1999.

Hoarding implies that it is collection for the purpose of "cherishing." This is akin to king Midas sitting in his treasury playing with his gold and jewels. It is like multi-millionaires with hidden rooms where they keep stolen art just for their viewing pleasure.

Hoarding is an act of obsessive joy in possession and exclusive control. It does not necessarily have an element of commercial or useful value. In fact, if you plan on using the item, it would seem that it would not be considered hording.

Ergo, unless you purchased your food for the purpose of playing with it, you might be hoarding. (Secretly, I do like to open up the coffee bean bucket and count all my beans over and over again, but don't tell anyone.)

-- hoarder (hoarder@bean.counter), December 12, 1999.