Saskatoon experienced a surge in bear spray attacks over the Thanksgiving weekend, with seven incidents reported. Police attribute this increase to a growing trend of using bear spray as a weapon in local crimes.
“The Saskatoon police have noticed a concerning rise in bear spray-related incidents throughout 2024,” a spokesperson for the Saskatoon Police Service informed The Epoch Times. “These incidents often occur in cases of assault with a weapon and robbery.”
On October 11, police received reports of three bear spray attacks, one in the afternoon, one in the evening, and the last at 10:30 p.m., as stated in an October 15 press release. In the second incident, the suspects were two boys aged 12 and 13, but the victim chose not to press charges.
The following day, two more bear spray incidents were reported. The first involved an attack on a city bus where the suspect and victim were unknown to each other. The second was a robbery an hour later, during which the suspects used bear spray inside a business and fled with stolen items.
On October 14, another robbery report involving bear spray was received, with suspects fleeing the scene with stolen items. Later that day, police responded to an incident on a city bus where a man allegedly sprayed a group of females. Neither the suspect nor the victims were present when the police arrived.
Police data shows an increase in bear spray-related cases since 2019. The highest surge was from 2019 to 2020, when annual cases rose from 114 to 238. Although the rate decreased from 2020 to 2022 to 180 cases per year, it reached a new peak in 2023 with 256 annual cases.
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Police have documented over 200 cases this year, and if the current trend continues, it could reach a five-year high of 285 cases.
Bear Spray Regulations
Earlier this year, the Saskatchewan government passed legislation to regulate the possession and use of bear spray in public urban areas.
“Over the past few years, there have been numerous public disturbances involving bear spray across the province,” Justice Minister and Attorney General Bronwyn Eyre stated in a March 12 press release. “These new regulations aim to enhance public safety and empower police and wildlife officers to seize and charge individuals in possession of bear spray, including in shopping malls, movie theatres, urban parks, and exhibition grounds.”
Under the legislation, individuals caught illegally carrying bear spray or tampering with its packaging to conceal it could face fines of up to $100,000.
Officials clarified that these regulations do not apply in rural or northern areas where bear spray is used for safety purposes. The rules also exempt retailers and individuals who use bear spray for work or recreational activities, such as conservation officers and hikers.
The Saskatoon Police Service stated that the legislation enables them to take a more proactive approach in addressing bear spray misuse through ticketing. To date, nine such tickets have been issued by the police.
