The regulations do not apply to rural and remote areas and are not intended to restrict legitimate use, according to provincial politicians.
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The province unveiled new regulations Tuesday aimed at combatting the misuse of bear spray in urban centres.
The new regulations are meant to give law enforcement an additional tool to seize bear spray and fine individuals found in possession of it, should an officer decide the product is being carried for improper reasons, politicians explained at a news conference at Regina Police Service (RPS) headquarters.
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Effectively, the rules are aimed at deterring the use of bear spray as a weapon against people.
Over the past five years, Saskatchewan police have attended to thousands of incidents involving bear spray, according to Policing and Public Safety Minister Paul Merriman.
Those include high-profile incidents such as the one which caused the shut down of Regina’s Wascana Pool on opening day and numerous incidents at city exhibitions.
The regulations restricting possession of bear spray is meant to apply only to “urban areas.”
Justice Minister and Attorney General Bronwyn Eyre said this would formally mean any centre over 5,000 people, but she noted that if smaller centres wanted the regulations to apply to their communities, the province would like to hear from them.
Officers are meant to use their discretion as to whether or not bear spray is being carried for improper use, Merriman said.
“People will be permitted to transport bear spray from a retail location to a place where it can be lawfully stored (eg., a private home) or lawfully used (eg., a camping trip),” a government news release states.
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Those charged under the new regulations “could face potential fines of up to $100,000,” though Eyre noted fine amounts would also be discretionary.
“The regulations will also prohibit defacing or altering bear spray in order to hide or disguise the product’s identity,” noted the release.
There will be no change to the requirements surrounding the purchase of bear spray, according to Eyre.
Merriman said that in developing the regulations, the government felt it was critical to balance public safety goals with making sure bear spray was kept available for legitimate use.
Richard Lowen, Estevan’s police chief and president of the Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police, said police already had the ability to seize bear spray when it was used as a weapon.
“You can imagine that there are times when people get arrested or we come in contact with people when it’s not used as a weapon. This gives the additional tool that we can use for additional enforcement when things are not being used appropriately.”
Bear spray has been an issue in the province for a long time, Lowen said.
“We’re fully in support of the regulation changes,” he said.
When asked if he would be in support of making it more difficult to obtain bear spray, he said: “Right now we’re satisfied with the measures that have been put in place.”
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