Online shopping for hunting, fishing licenses coming to Manitoba — but they'll cost more

The Manitoba government says it's throwing out paper-based outdoor licensing in favour of online shopping for hunting and angling licences and provincial park vehicle permits.

On Monday, the government announced new legislation that will move provincial sales of outdoor licences and permits online — which will cost consumers an extra few dollars at the check out, and must still be printed out.

Manitoba is home to 92 provincial parks, spanning more than four million hectares of land and water.

Before exploring the wilderness, users will be able to go online, create a customer profile and select the desired product or licence, then head to the check out — much like other 24/7 online shopping experience.

Upon making a purchase, a digital copy will be available for download from the customer's account.

A hard copy of a licence must be printed out and carried while fishing or hunting so it can be presented upon request by conservation officers, according to the government news release.

Park permits must be printed for display on the vehicle's dashboard.

In the release, Chris Heald, head of the Manitoba Wildlife Federation, says he is pleased for more convenient access for hunters, anglers and trappers.

Consumers will also be able to make licensing purchases online at Manitoba Conservation and Climate Change offices around the province and other participating retailers, which will be listed online.

A $4.50 administrative fee will be tagged on to the cost of base licence fees in order to support the new service delivery method, according to the release.

The e-licensing process will also help improve data collection to support program management, the government said in the release.

Resource Development Minister Blaine Pedersen says Manitobans can expect the government to roll out more online shopping opportunities like this in the future.