Northern Ont. lodge owner fined $13K for moose hunt violation

A lodge owner from Thunder Bay has been fined $13,000 for trying to help a hunter hide the fact he shot a moose without a valid moose licence.

David Boileau, who owns the Blue Lantern Lodge located northwest of Atikokan, pleaded guilty to unlawfully obtaining a licence for which the holder is no longer eligible because he did not meet the requirements of an Ontario resident under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act.

He also pleaded guilty to possessing a licence that was void and failing to keep registered guest forms.

Curtis Fabischek of Thunder Bay pleaded guilty to hunting moose without a licence and was fined $1,500.

"The court heard that on Oct. 24, 2022, conservation officers discovered that Fabischek hunted and shot an adult moose, without a valid moose licence," the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry said in a news release Friday.

"Through further investigation, it was learned that David Boileau issued an adult cow moose validation tag to Fabischek and failed to keep records of Fabischek and other registered guests staying at Blue Lantern Lodge."

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Boileau failed to retain the records for the required period of three years and unlawfully obtained a licence by failing to notify the ministry of his change in residency, leading to him possessing a moose licence that was void.

Justice of the Peace Patricia Clysdale-Cornell heard the case remotely in the Ontario Court of Justice in Fort Frances on April 5 this year.

To report a natural resource problem or provide information about an unsolved case, members of the public can call the ministry TIPS line toll-free at 1-877-847-7667. You can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS.

For more information about unsolved cases, click here.