Manitoba's pleas for Amazon, Walmart to clamp down on online machete sales ignored
CBC
Amazon and Walmart Canada have so far ignored the NDP government's requests to restrict the online sale of machetes to Manitobans, the province says.
The major distributors haven't responded to two letters from the provincial government — issued Dec. 6, 2024, and Feb. 6, 2025 — asking them to "comply with the intent" of provincial legislation when selling machetes and other long-bladed weapons online, the government confirmed.
The new provincial rules, which came into effect Dec. 31 and only apply to in-store sales, require businesses to sell the items only to adults with photo identification, and to keep records of their sales for two years.
They must also keep the items stored in a way that prevents shoppers from accessing them without assistance.
But the provincial law doesn't apply to online sales, and as a result, customers of sites like Amazon and Walmart can buy machetes — a type of weapon frequently used in violent crimes — without disclosing their age or providing an ID.
CBC News found dozens of machetes for sale across Amazon and Walmart's websites. Both businesses can deliver these products to customers' doors.
Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said he's disappointed the online giants haven't honoured the province's asks.
"I can tell you we're frustrated that these online retailers aren't taking this seriously in the way that we were asking them to," he said in an interview last week.
Amazon hadn't responded to multiple requests for comment from CBC News prior to publication. Walmart said in an email its stores are following the law, but didn't answer a question about why it was ignoring the province's requests regarding online sales.
Wiebe said those retailers "should consider the impact … on public safety" of continuing to sell machetes without restrictions.
"They should understand their obligation to be good corporate citizens, in the same way that when we reached out to retailers here, like Canadian Tire or Cabela's, they were willing to work with us," Wiebe said.
The website for the outdoor goods store Cabela's (now branded as Bass Pro Shops) informs customers attempting to buy machetes online the product is only carried at its retail outlets.
Canadian Tire only stocks machetes in-store as well. CBC found one machete available for sale online last week, but the item's blade had saw teeth, and saws are exempt from the provincial legislation.
Wayne Balcaen, the Progressive Conservative justice critic, said while the provincial law is "better than nothing," online sales shouldn't be excluded.
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