SASKATOON — The Saskatoon Police Service is adopting a proactive approach, working closely with the city’s bylaw office to amend the business licensing bylaw that implements regulations for the sale of wildlife products, such as bear spray.
SPS, in a statement sent to SaskToday, said it sent a letter to retailers currently selling bear spray to inform them of future bylaw amendments. The SPS will then conduct compliance checks once the amendment is in place. Businesses that do not comply will face fines.
“We are working with the city to establish these changes to the bylaw in efforts to scale back the availability of the product and, in turn, reduce the amount of incidents of misuse,” said Inspector Doug McNeil.
“We can’t ban the sale of bear spray, but we can encourage business owners to be a part of the solution; if your store doesn’t focus on sporting goods sales, we would ask that you reconsider selling bear spray.”
The SPS added that officers are currently working diligently to combat the issue of bear spray incidents in the city, with a number of those reported occurring at the Saskatoon Transit bus depot downtown, involving teenagers.
Saskatoon city council is considering amendments to the Business License Bylaw 9746, which outlines the requirements for the sale of wildlife control products, including bear spray. The SPS submitted proposals to council requesting the amendments.
The amendment seeks to introduce recording requirements at the time of purchase, along with other regulations related to the sale of bear spray. City council will then write a letter to the Ministry of Justice requesting additional rules on bear spray sales.
The move aims to improve regulations on the possession of bear spray, amidst the growing number of incidents where the wildlife product has been used as a weapon to assault individuals in the city, including a police officer.
SaskToday reached out to several hunting stores to comment on the planned amendment. While they declined to comment on the record, some noted they have already chosen to discontinue selling the product.
Unofficial data shows there have been five reported incidents of bear spray attacks in June, including one on June 12, in which a suspect used it to assault a police officer. Police also responded to two incidents involving suspects in possession of bear spray, one of which also involved a stabbing.
SPS data shows there were 180 reported cases in 2022 where bear spray was used as a weapon during a violent incident. That number rose to 364 in 2023 and 367 in 2024. As of May this year, 235 incidents have already been reported since January.
The SPS, in an earlier statement, said the number continues to be a concern, and Chief Cameron McBride indicated that curbing illegal use is a primary policing challenge he hopes to address this year.
“We are working with multiple levels of government to identify opportunities to address this challenge so that together, we can reduce these incidents and keep our community safe,” SPS said in the statement.
Hunters and campers use bear spray in the woods to deter bears. It is effective when sprayed directly into the bear’s face at close range—about 10 feet. Studies have shown it prevents more than 90 per cent of attacks.
