Municipalities in Canada have issued license plates for all kinds of uses; from bicycles, to popsicle carts, even vending machines. If there's a bylaw on the books which requires a license to operate, chances are a license plate or some sort of validation decal has been issued to show the licensing fee has been paid.
In the early days bicycles were seen as a form of transportation and, therefore, it made sense to tax them as they were part of the normal road traffic. Today, cycling is seen more as a recreational activity, and many cyclists would prefer to be on designated paths rather than in traffic. Of the multitude of municipalities which did issue bicycle license plates, it is likely that only a small handful remain today. Most cities simply allow you to register your bike at the police station, free of charge, on a voluntary basis. If there is any nominal fee involved, it would probably be administered by a local bicycle club for the upkeep of trails, and therefore no license plate would be necessary.
As you can see, these bicycle plates have been issued in all sorts of shapes and sizes. The earliest ones were simply brass tags, similar in style to the familiar dog tags. Many cities had theirs made by the Bicycle Guild of Montreal. They are the small plastic square plates on the left. Those of French-Speaking towns often had bilingual legends. Occasionally, the odd slogan such as "Winnipeg Centennial" on the 1974 plate as illustrated below.
Very nice collection. I live in Canada and haven't seen a few of the one you have...
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