A new Edmonton bylaw bans businesses from selling bear spray to minors after a report from the city’s police force called it one of the most common improvised weapons used on the street.
The bylaw passed with unanimous support from City Council on Wednesday.
The new bylaw will include a licensing regime and requirements to track transaction records to ensure the new regulations. Adults will also be responsible from keeping purchased canisters out of reach from minors.
Businesses caught selling to minors will receive a $2,000 fine for a first offence.
Businesses that fail to record transactions or provide adequate product security and a city-approved purchaser guide will receive a $1,000 fine for a first offence.
All fines will double for subsequent offences.
Bear spray products cause intense burning and irritation to the skin, eyes, nose and throat due to their high concentration of capsicum, the active ingredient in chilli peppers.
Mayor Amarjeet Sohi called the bylaw “another tool” to help officers confiscate bear spray to ensure it won’t be used as an “unintended weapon.”
“I think this is another tool that will allow our communities to be more safe (and) gives additional tools to our bylaw officers to make sure that the bear spray is not being used as an unintended weapon,” said Sohi.
The decision to ban the sale came in response to an Edmonton Police Service report from last February which noted that the canisters were being manipulated for “illicit purposes” as well as having their safety mechanisms disabled.
“This has been an issue that’s been identified in the communities that I represent for sure, but across the city, especially with the data that EPS has presented, being able to use all the tools that are in our toolbox to address this is an appropriate approach,” said Ward Métis Coun. Ashley Salvador.
Salvador had previously called for the bylaw to be amended.
According to EPS, the city saw 22,890 bear spray incidents between 2015 and 2023, with 40% deemed violent.
Reports were highest in Edmonton’s central and urbanized areas as 55% of bear-spray-related reports occurred within 100 metres of a bus stop.
City Council hopes the new amendments will reduce future incidents.
EPS Chief Dale McFee said that bear spray was one of the most commonly used weapons in Edmonton, telling reporters that “enough was enough” last week.
“Last time I checked, there’s not a lot of bears in the city… There’s no need to have (bear spray), and then you mix it with narcotic use and often the types of drugs on the street — it becomes quite devastating and puts people in precarious positions,” said McFee.
“We’re doing a pretty good job as a community right now dealing with a lot of vulnerable population services, but accountability is lacking… If we have the ability to seize (bear spray) through the bylaw, that’s exactly what we’re going to do and charge accordingly.”
While the amendments are effective immediately, city staff say they will be focusing on educating businesses before necessarily taking law enforcement action for the first three to six months.
