Bear spray incidents down in Saskatoon, police credit sales restrictions

Recent data from the Saskatoon Police Service shows bear spray attacks are down this year compared to last. Stacey Hein reports.

Fewer bear spray incidents are reported in Saskatoon compared to last year, and police say changes to how the product is sold are helping.

From January to May, police recorded 137 bear spray incidents, down from 242 during the same period last year, according to data from the Saskatoon Police Service.

Inspector Doug McNeil said the decline is largely due to a city bylaw that took effect last July.

The bylaw requires buyers to be at least 18 and provide two pieces of identification. Sellers cannot publicly display bear spray and must record a customer’s name, address and date of birth. Those records must be kept for two years.

“Any of those individuals who are purchasing it, and likely for its unintended use, have to realize that they have to produce the ID for it as well as the sale is being recorded,” McNeil said.

The record-keeping requirements also aim to hold sellers accountable. In February, a Saskatoon business was charged with unlawfully selling bear spray.

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While bear spray can still be found at some convenience stores, McNeil said it is better suited to outdoor outfitters.

“Ideally it would be the outdoor outfitter in a larger commercial retailer that are selling it,” he said. “If that was the case, [it] would also limit the amount of product available on the streets.”

For Alison Meinert, owner of Eb’s Source for Adventure, the bylaw means selling bear spray now involves more paperwork, but she said it is not overly onerous.

“We’ve certainly had to take a bit more information down, personal information when you buy the bear spray, and a little bit more reporting,” Meinert said.

While she said her customers generally buy bear spray for its intended purpose, she supports measures aimed at keeping it out of the wrong hands.