LAKELAND – Despite its intended purpose as a defense tool against wildlife, bear spray continues to be misused throughout the Lakeland – and beyond.
In St. Paul, RCMP is reporting a consistent number of cases involving nefarious use of the product. According to St. Paul RCMP, there were 129 cases involving bear sprays in the past five years in the region, with 98 of those being assault cases.
“The frequency we are receiving these calls has remained fairly steady in the last five years with call volume ranging from 19 [to] 36 calls per year,” said Kellieka Formanek, the detachment’s public information officer, in an Oct. 16 statement to Lakeland This Week.
“In 2024, we have had 23 bear spray related calls to date,” she added.
Formanek says the purchase of bear spray is not classified as an illegal weapon and is available to the public.
Darryl Lotoski, owner of Warehouse Sports, a locally owned and operated shop for hunting and fishing gear, located in St. Paul, confirmed that there are no legal requirements for customers to buy bear spray, aside from being informed of its intended use as a defensive tool against wildlife.
According to information from the Government of Canada, for bear spray to be legally sold, retailers are required to clearly have a label stating its intended use on animals.
But while bear spray is not classified as an illegal weapon, Formanek says it can still be classified as a concealed weapon, “if it is found to be concealed on an individual.”
“It can also be classified as a weapon for a dangerous purpose, depending on the circumstances,” she explained. “Officers need to take into account the nature of the situation and determine whether the bear spray is being used for its intended purpose.”
Such is the case when two individuals were recently charged for allegedly assaulting four youth who were in a vehicle in St. Paul.
Bear spray in assault cases are not unique to St. Paul.
Saskatoon Police, for example, are investigating seven bear spray incidents that happened over the Thanksgiving long weekend from Oct. 11 to Oct. 14. One case involved two young people, aged 12 and 13. The victim did not proceed with charges and the youth were released to their guardians.
In an Oct. 18 press release, Airdrie RCMP were seeking the public’s help to find the suspects in an incident that involved a male who bear sprayed a woman in an attempt to steal her purse.
The incident happened on Oct. 2 near the entrance of the CrossIron Mills Mall. According to police, the male suspect had two female associates who canvased the mall and followed the victim to the parking lot where the victim was allegedly bear sprayed.
In July, the City of Edmonton also approved a series of amendments to its business license bylaw, which includes banning the sale of bear spray to minors under 18 due to increased misuse of the product in the city.
The 2023 crime statistics released by the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) in May 2024 indicate that while criminal incidents in Edmonton decreased by 7.2 per cent in 2023 compared to the previous year, the city’s total crime severity increased by 4.6 per cent compared to 2022. This means crimes overall have decreased, while more severe crimes increased.
EPS attributed the increase to more violent crimes.
According to the EPS data, criminal incidents involving weapons increased by nine per cent in 2023. This includes the use of “caustic spray” like bear sprays which increased by 14 per cent throughout the city between 2022 and 2023.
Lou Leroux, public information officer with the Alberta RCMP, said bear spray remains a complicated issue throughout the province. People use it for personal protection but also for assault and robberies. "I know that certain [municipalities] . . . are looking at trying to get bylaws set up to try and control the sale of it," he said, like Edmonton and Wetaskiwin.
"It's a very difficult issue," he acknowledged. "We also have a lot of people who lawfully purchase the bear spray for the wilderness . . . so, how do you start designating who can buy it and who can't?"