An increase in assaults involving bear spray has prompted Saint John common council to take action.
Councillors will consider a bylaw to regulate the sale of bear spray in the city.
Coun. Paul Dempsey said the Saint John Police Force has seen an uptick in the number of incidents involving the substance.
“Incidents involving bear spray are often seen increasingly with our youth,” Dempsey said. “And the use is not defensive in nature, but rather offensive in nature.”
The issue came to the city’s public safety committee in June, when then-police chief Robert Bruce wrote to the committee and recommended restricting the sale of bear spray.
Bruce wrote that other municipalities have taken similar steps to limit access.
Bruce said the bylaw should include the following:
- A mandatory buyer registry that includes name, address, phone number and the date of birth of the buyer
- That the buyer be required to provide two pieces of valid ID
- That retailers be required to maintain records of the bylaw, and to record the name of the product and serial number when sold, and the name of the employee who sold it
- Both buyers and sellers must be 18 or older
- Retailers must store the product securely and out of sight
- Retailers must only sell “bear spray” that has been modified and it must be clearly marked
- Retailers must be licensed to sell “bear spray”
- Failure to follow the bylaw can result in fines, suspensions or a loss of licence
Bear spray, when used against a person, is considered a prohibited weapon under the Criminal Code of Canada.
Dempsey said the city’s general counsel reviewed the issue and confirmed the city has the authority to enact such a bylaw.
“Other jurisdictions in Canada have successfully regulated the sale of bear spray,” he said.
Coun. Eric Savoie, whose ward includes the uptown, said he favoured such a bylaw, adding he knows people directly affected by the use of bear spray.
“It was quite devastating,” Savoie said. “Not just the incident, the impact on the business owner, but the individual that was bear-maced had several prolonged impacts.”
Coun. Brian Wyatt, who represents the north end and Millidgeville, said he’s heard from residents of his ward about their children being hit with bear spray.
“Sixteen-year-olds walking around with a can of bear mace in each of their pockets like they’re a gunslinger from the Old West,” he said. “And these are how kids are resolving disputes.”
As a side note, Dempsey said police have only received one report in the last five years of a bear being encountered within city limits.
