Regulations can protect, help and ensure quality, but we can also take them too far. And the government of Canada has gone overboard with this one … 

For the past two years, I’ve owned drones. I started out with one that I flew in my basement. From there I progressed to two outdoor drones that were not very expensive … and also not very good.  

Then last summer I bought a drone that would change droning for me. This drone could take great quality video and was a dream to fly compared to my other ones. 

I was in.

Since then I’ve been making drone videos and posting them on YouTube. (You can check them out here.) 

In January, however, our government announced that they would change the regulations for drone operations in Canada as of June 1st. 

They made two mandatory rules: First, you have to register your drone with the government, and second, you have to pass a test to obtain a license to fly it. 

There are two license categories: basic and advanced. 

It doesn’t cost much to register your drone or take the test to get your license, but to pass the test they recommend you take ground school … and that will run you between $200 and $400! 

I was able to pass my basic license test without taking ground school, but let me tell you, it took a lot of work and research to get all the information I needed to be equipped to write the exam.

But we are only a dozen days into the new regulations and I already realize this license I have is not good enough. 

I really need to get the advanced license, and for that I think I will have to take ground school. 

I remember back when I was a kid that fireworks were a big family thing during the Victoria Day weekend. In fact, on the Monday night of the holiday weekend, there were fireworks displays at the end of every driveway on the street. 

And it was the kids who were setting them off! – every kid did it.  

Fire crackers were awesome – they prepared young people for throwing grenades in the army. The Canadian military would automatically enlist a new recruit if he had two or more years’ experience throwing these little hand grenades … just kidding!

Fire crackers were eventually deemed too dangerous. But even though I set off my fair share of them, squeezing the end really hard and having them explode in my fingers, I still have all my digits.

The government first set age limits for buying fire crackers. Then the age limits kept getting higher and higher until they stopped selling fire crackers all together. 

My kids don’t even know what a fire cracker is, let alone what it does. They would never pass hand grenade training in the military.

My fear is the government is going to do the same thing with drones. The regulations will become so restrictive and complicated that they will just stop selling drones in Canada. 

Here’s the thing: Maybe it’s human nature to add regulations and make things more complicated. God, on the other hand, made having a relationship with Him so uncomplicated and easy – it’s easy if you will humble yourself and place your faith in Christ Jesus. Many people try to complicate this relationship with God. But really, God has made it so that we talk, listen, and follow His lead – it really is that simple. If you find yourself getting complicated with God, it’s you, not Him. Cut out the regulations and simply relate to Him as you would your closest friend or parent. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What have you put too many regulations on? Leave your comments below.