The fair during the Prince Albert Exhibition in 2024. (Nigel Maxwell/paNOW)

By Susan McNeil

Bear spray

More detail needed to gauge effectiveness of new bear spray law

Jun 19, 2025 | 2:14 PM

As the saying goes, the devil is in the details and making use of the Province of Saskatchewan’s new law regarding bear spray is no different.

In Prince Albert, where there have been multiple incidents of bear spray being used on people, the city police chief said they will know more once the regulations that accompany new law are finalized.

“We’re still waiting for the regulations to be formulated and approved before we know exactly how the law will be applied and that’s really important to us, because we have to put up standard operating procedures within the organization,” said Chief Patrick Nogier following Tuesday’s meeting of the Prince Albert Police Commission.

Commission members discussed how the province’s law, passed last year, will impact the ability for police to prevent some of the public use of bear spray as a weapon within city limits. They asked the police for feedback on the law several months ago with a June report back date.

PA Police have been charging people under the Criminal Code with weapons offences when they need to, which has bigger consequences than fines and can lead to up to 10 years in jail in some circumstances.

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The new law makes it a provincial offense to use bear spray in urban areas and also bans altering the canister to disguise its identity. The maximum fine for the provincial offence is $100,000.

When the legislature passes a new piece of legislation, an accompanying regulation is created that details how the provisions of the legislation will be carried out.

The bear spray regulation is still in the process of being created.

“So we need to know what the regulations say, how the law can be enforced and then provide that information as an awareness component to our officers,” said Nogier.

READ MORE: How will the province’s new bear spray rules affect Prince Albert?

Officers in Prince Albert are very familiar with the Criminal Code and how those offences can be charged.

“We’re continually making sure that if we’re getting called for assistance, that we’re utilizing the Criminal Code as the best, first mechanism for holding people accountable.”

Depending on the details of Saskatchewan’s new regulations, there may be circumstances where the requirements to lay criminal charges don’t exist, but they do for the provincial charge.

“This is an added layer of enhancement, and this is where it’s really important to us,” said Nogier.

The provincial rules may still give officers a way to remove the bear spray and seize it without having to go to court to do it, and that makes the community safer.

“We want to evaluate it, we think it can be a tool that would help us but that’s not saying that would be our go to and our first way to respond to situations involving weapons in public.”

Use of bear spray as a weapon is a recurring problem in Prince Albert.

Taxi drivers have been targeted as have police officers and attendees at the annual Exhibition and fair.

In one incident that led to significant community outrage online, a 13-year-old boy used bear spray to rob a homeless woman who relies on a walker to move about.

The teen then posted a video of himself online threatening the woman.

Saskatoon has had similar issues along with La Ronge, including fairs in both communities.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com

On BlueSky: @susanmcneil.bsky.social