Wellesley Township bans kite fighting on public and private property

Galen Simmons, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Driven primarily by the danger it poses to farm animals, equipment and crops in the area, the Township of Wellesley has officially passed a bylaw banning kite fighting on public and private property in the township.

A tradition in many South Asian cultures during holidays, kite fighting involves kite flyers trying to intercept each other’s lines to cut them down. The strings, often referred to as “manja” strings, are sometimes coated with crushed glass or metal. In areas where kite fighting happens, those strings are often left strewn across farmer’s fields and in public spaces, and can get tangled in equipment, injure animals in the field, or even cause harm to people who may come in contact with them.

Following the example of municipalities like Oakville and Mono, which banned kite fighting in recent years, Wellesley council approved its own bylaw banning the sport at its July 8 meeting.

“The bylaw will be enforced by the township’s bylaw enforcement officer and can also be enforced by the Waterloo Regional Police Service,” Wellesley CAO Rik Louwagie told the Gazette after the bylaw was passed. “Any person contravening the bylaw can be charged with an offence and is subject to possible substantial fines. The bylaw can be enforced on both public and private property.”

According to the bylaw, which is now in effect, anyone found kite fighting in the township could be fined a maximum of $5,000 for a first offence, or $10,000 for subsequent offences.

In previous years, Louwagie said people have engaged in kite fighting at the Linwood Recreation Centre, however no instances of the sport have been reported in 2025.

“The kite-fighting ban will be made known through a media release and will be posted on the township’s website and social media channels,” he said. “Signs will also be posted at all township facilities.”