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Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) had to deal with six incidents where bear spray was used over the weekend — including two in one night at the same hotel — and no arrests have been made.
SPS said in a news release on Monday that the first call was to was at Confederation Mall on Jan. 31 around 7:30 p.m. after someone who had been sprayed in one of the mall entrances called police.
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Officers were told that two men both aimed bear spray towards the victim before running away. The victim did not require medical attention.
The same night, around 9 p.m., police were called to a Pleasant Hill apartment in the 200 block of Avenue N South where they found a woman suffering from the effects of bear spray.
She refused medical attention, SPS said, adding that the suspect and victim are believed to be known to each other.
Then, on Feb. 1 around 2 a.m., officers were called to the Travelodge Hotel in the 100 block of Circle Drive West after a hotel security guard was sprayed by two people he was questioning in the parking lot. The guard was treated at the scene by paramedics, police said, and the suspects ran away before police arrived.
Around an hour later police were called to the same Travelodge Hotel again after they were told two teenagers had sprayed a couple of people in the hotel lobby before running away.
Several people suffering from the effects of bear spray were treated by paramedics, police added.
On Feb. 2 police were called to Westview at about 11 p.m. after someone smashed a window and sprayed into a home before they left, SPS said.
Finally, on Feb. 3 officers were called to Pleasant Hill again, where police said employees at a convenience store in the 1500 block of 22nd Street West were sprayed after refusing entry to two men.
The employees were sprayed through a window broken by the men, police said, and the suspects again ran away.
Anyone with any information should call Saskatoon Police Service at 306-975-8300 or inform Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or at saskcrimestoppers.com.
Bear spray incidents on the rise
In 2024, the provincial government announced new regulations aiming to reduce the number of criminal incidents involving bear spray.
The changes include regulations to restrict the possession of bear spray in public urban spaces, and a ban on altering bear spray in order to hide or disguise the product’s identity.
Anyone charged under the new regulations could face fines of up to $100,000.
As of Oct. 10, 2024, police services across the province had laid around 30 charges under the new regulations.
In December, former Saskatoon mayoral candidate Cary Tarasoff and family member Sherry Tarasoff have written a joint letter to the City of Saskatoon suggesting it follow the lead of two other cities by enacting its own bylaws or regulations on the sale of bear spray.
Saskatoon Police Chief Cam McBride has said there had been hundreds of bear spray incidents in Saskatoon over the last couple of years.
The Tarasoffs cited Vancouver City Council and Edmonton as dealing with the issue, with Vancouver passing a series of bylaws amendment recommendations relating to the sale of bear spray, including banning its sale of it to anyone under the age of 19, or anyone who doesn’t provide identification when attempting to purchase it.
Edmonton amended its bylaws in early July, 2024.
Bear spray is a deterrent containing capsaicin, a chemical found in chili peppers. The canister releases a cone-shaped cloud of spray to a distance of approximately 10 m and at a speed of over 100 km/h. Capsaicin inflames the eyes and respiratory system of both animals and humans.
According to bearwise.org, the spray is oil-based, so first aid for bear spray is to wash off residue with soap and water, don’t rub your eyes or nose, and rinse your eyes with clean water until the irritation lessons. Effects generally wear off in about 45 minutes, the bear awareness site says.”
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