MNR New Automated System met with mixed feelings

January 10, 2012 25d Comments

MNR1

 

The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources is really getting with the modern times in this new automated system of licensing.

But what about the old school methods? Does that mean you can no longer purchase a license at your local bait or tackle shop?

Apparently you can longer get a new fishing license  at Petrie Island. My pal Yves Grandmaitre proprietor of Oziles Marina wanted me to let people know he no longer has fishing licences for sale.

I get the feeling from touching base with Mr Grandmaitre that he’s not the only one who cannot sell hunting or fishing licence out of their shop anymore.

I can guarantee this will put a lot of weekend fishermen in a sticky situation once ice-fishing gets rolling big time.

 Here is the info I have on the new system:


http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/LetsFish/2ColumnSubPage/STDPROD_091032.html

 

My hunting & fishing license renewal went smoothly over the phone, but I wonder who else is effected by this new automated system?

Outdoorsguy

25 thoughts on “MNR New Automated System met with mixed feelings”

  1. mmm was just at a local ice fishing spot in bewdly ontario and watched the owner purchase his 3 year small game and 3 year outdoors card on the new machine . maybe your friend did not want to partake in the new system. if the system is half as good as the one i use in the states it will be a blessing especially if you drive up north and forget your card the retailers can reprint a new one… i left my fishing licence at home when i got to virginia i went to the nearest store and they printed a new one up for me FREE

    1. Hmm, I wonder why some distributors are not included this year..as imacdon also noted.

      The folks at Petrie Island are pretty savvy…I cant believe they just chose not to be apart of the new system. I will have to look into that.

      Alain, have you heard anything about that?

      Outdoorsguy

  3. WUHOO! I’m hope the distributors are at least able to maybe key in client information to print licenses.

    From a purely selfish point of view, that phone system had to go. It served it’s purpose, but was completely archaic in all ways possible. Maybe the internet system will have a few glitches, but i’m looking forward to applying and buying much faster. Of course, we’ll still have to wait for notification of anterless deer or adult moose tags, but that’s ok.

    Gee whiz, maybe they’ll smarten up and change the moose draw system too? Wouldn’t that be neat!!! 2 things in 1 year…..the year the world’s supposed to end. fitting 🙂

    lol

  4. It looks like the distributors are few and far between. I don’t think they ever got much for selling the license’s.
    The new system would probably cost them money to install, the problem with calling in a license is you don’t receive
    it for a few weeks. Over the holidays in Perth I witness lots of anglers leaving both bait shops without a license
    or bait. Really surprised access Ontario in Ottawa is not on the distribution list.

    1. Yeah, I guess the new automated system will be fine for those of us who are computer literate..but if someone like my Dad (who doesn’t know a USB port from a hard drive) ever moved to Ontario, he’d be screwed!

      Outdoorsguy

  6. According to the list of issuers, only Le Baron and Canadian Tire stores are selling licenses in the Ottawa area.

    1. OK GPG, so I wonder if that means all the smaller places outside of town..like Bennetts, Bait Casters, Jims Bait & Tackle..etc..etc..are not part of it either?

      Outdoorsguy

      1. Hey, don’t get me wrong here…I’m all for automation and I’m not faulting the MNR for producing a modern day system..I mean, there would be no Outdoors Guy Blog without modern day advances…I’m just wondering about those people who still do things the traditional face-to-face paper method.

        I suppose at the very least they may have to look for a new distributor.

        Outdoorsguy

  7. It is our understanding that presently NONE of the systems in town are operational. The only place to obtain a license is either online or with MNR directly. And this till February. We stopped selling licenses three years ago for a range of reasons, one of them relating to the compensation received for selling these. Once bank fees are taken into account (most people pay with plastic and although we can specify cash only, many clients don’t carry anymore) and the amount of time to process the paperwork, it just did not warrant the time. In our case tackle sales went up as we had more quality time to spend with clients instead of filling out paperwork for pennies…We have no regrets on stopping the selling of licenses and 99% of our clients are aware…

  8. I didn’t find any small shops in the list. I agree Jeff, I like to buy local as much as possible, including getting my licenses and bait from the small shops. It helps the local economies and entrepreneurs, and I get the inside scoop from the people who fish those waters regularly. I also don’t pay with credit cards, ever. As a Web designer, technology is my bread and butter, but I dislike it when it affects human interaction. It also kills jobs in many intances.

  9. I was told that not only do the sellers make very little, they get scrutinized for accuracy by the MNR and it was no longer worth while. They could be fined if their paperwork wasn’t perfect. All this money the MNR takes from us and they were screwing the retailer, typical government. At first it kind of upset me when I went to Canadian Tire to buy a hunting license and they told me they no longer sold them, but after I found out why, I understood

  11. Did my automated renewal of Outdoor card and non-resident fishing license in late November 2010, which required a few tries. Finally got confirmation, but to this day, still haven’t received anything by mail.

  12. Ok.. not Happy.
    Last year I got my 3 year fishing license online with my outdoor card it came proptly (not kidding realy) with the outdoor card prestamped with the 3 year lisence on the back.
    This year no luck.
    I tried to get the same thing I could only renew my outdoor card online. I did this in November so I would have it Jan 1 for ice fishing. It came in the male yesterday (Jan17) and I went straight to Canadian Tire.
    This new system is printing off a wallet size fishing lcense. THATS RIGHT NO LITTLE STICKER FOR THE BACK OF YOUR OUTDOOR CARD.
    The girl at the Canadian Tire taped it to the back of my outdoor card with painters tape..I just about lost it.
    WTF is going on here.. She says this its nuts..this new system makes her phone minnisota to verify info and if they can’t help they have to phone the MNR who is only open from 9-5. Why mess with a perfectly good system ..one little sticker on the back of the card ..all good… Leave it to the government to screw up the simplest thing.

    NOT HAPPY

  13. i for the life of me cant understand why its so hard . the program would be purchased off the shelf (the program was built along time ago and used all over the usa ) some head of the mnr is having fun making sure there job is secure

  14. jeff i dont understand if you got a 3 year lic last year and 3 year fishing lic why are you doing it again ????

    1. You’re right Chess, that doesnt really add up……Jeff, can you expand on that please?

      Btw, that Jeff wasnt me….

      Outdoorsguy

  15. Sorry guys mistyped that .. I meant to say last time. not last year.
    Talked to the MNR today. They are slowly rolling out the machines I think Canadian Tire got them first. I said to the guy at the MNR that I fail to see how this yellow paper will last 3 years. He explained to me that they will be sending me a new card with license on the back at some point in the future.
    And this will go for the hunters as well.
    Seems to me if the pint on demand paper license is required then doesn’t this negate the need for an outdoors card as well.
    Why the hell am I paying for both.

  17. get rid of the plastic card go with paper. they could do it with a single piece of paper it would come with all licences attached then if you decided to buy a deer licence you could go on line and buy or to a service centre and buy then you would get a number to add to the spot in pen. so on for turkey moose ect .. it is so easy . and don’t say paper is no good alot of states use nothing but paper and there is hundreds of thousands of people using it. with out complaints even our new system is out dated.. or just buy the card and swipe it when you need a new tag

  18. I think your on to something there Chess.
    If I am required to have the card, and it already has the stripe and all my info on it, and that is basically what I did at the Canadian tire was swipe the card and get a license, then I guess this paper one just really a receipt.
    With the ice fishing and snowmobiling my wallet gets a bit wet every now and then. Plastic would be nice. Considering I already have to pay for it and have it with me. It just seems like every time it comes to the government we end up taking a double hit in the wallet.

  19. – I am a small shop retailer of the fishing licenses and am interested in how the new automated system is working. . I am very happy that I will no longer have to be responsible for thousands of paper licenses held in trust for the MNR until I return the unused ones in the fall. . Last year, sellers had to agree to undertake this new system and I am under the impression that if they did not have high speed internet or telephone service, the automated system would not work. I guess this will take some getting used to, and myself included, will have to be patient with my customers/guests and my own trepedation with the new system.

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