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Saskatoon city council has approved proposed bylaw changes to the way bear spray is bought and sold.
The changes to Bylaw 9746 come at the formal request of Cameron McBride, Saskatoon’s police chief, who wrote a letter to council, saying that the “misuse of wildlife control products has created a notable public safety concern for residents in public spaces in Saskatoon.”
McBride listed six requests, including a minimum age requirement of 18 years for both buyers and sellers, the purchaser would need to provide two pieces of identification, that wildlife control projects, including bear spray,y be stored safely and securely out of sight, among others.
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Johnathan Storey, owner of Escape Sports, said he welcomes the changes to make it more difficult to purchase.
“Shops that really aren’t outdoor supply shops are carrying it and kind of getting it into the hands of people who aren’t using it on bears,” he said.
He said he’s spoken with police officers about the proposed new regulations.
“We just chatted about it a bit and how we thought they were a good idea to just get it (canisters) out of visible space,” he added.
Storey also believes it will “do wonders” to minimize the number of bear spray attacks.
According to a recent city report, the number of bear spray incidents in Saskatoon nearly doubled between 2021 and 2024, and crimes committed by youths involving bear spray increased by more than 500 per cent during the same period.
“In 2024, 60 per cent of bear spray-related incidents were committed by youth, compared to 24 per cent in 2021,” the report noted.
Final approval of the bylaw will be voted on at the July 30 council meeting.
Saskatoon police and city administration would then contact affected businesses to provide them with additional information.
— with files from 650 CKOM’s Shane Clausing
