The officers have broad leeway.  

I've seen them catch people for whom English isn't even a 2nd language and explained that a fish caught out of season must be released.  The fish was released and no fine/charge.

Considering the offender has been playing this game for 17 years, he got off easy.  3 counts of a bogus licence?  Should have been 17, one for every year he wasn't an Ontario resident.

Ontarians pay less for licences because our tax dollars already fund the ministry.  It's not unfair that non-residents pay more because they're actually paying less once all the revenue sources are counted.  Maybe not less, maybe on par, maybe a little more.  Membership has it's privledges.

When I was in Boston for a summer I had to pay more for my fishing licence as a non-resident.