Province moves to restrict bear spray

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This article was published 15/04/2023 (1146 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Manitoba government’s move to require stricter regulations for the sale of bear spray is a step in the right direction, says the Brandon Police Service.

New regulatory changes introduced by Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen and Agriculture Minister Derek Johnson on Thursday will require businesses that sell bear mace to check a customer’s government-issued photo identification and take down their contact information prior to the sale.

“Any news that means that bear spray will not be in the hands of people who have ill-intent is good news,” said Brandon police public information officer Sgt. Kirby Sararas.

The announcement comes on the heels of a local robbery involving bear spray, which shut down Shoppers Mall on Tuesday afternoon.

An employee of Mobile Care, a cell phone store in the shopping centre, was sprayed with bear mace by the suspect, who then fled with a new iPhone.

Brandon police are still looking for the suspect in the robbery.

The changes will also require businesses that sell bear spray to check customers’ contact information against their ID and submit that information to the Manitoba government. Businesses must also register the serial numbers for any sale of more than two cans. Purchasers will also have to state their intended use of the product.

Citing the increased use of bear spray as a weapon and recent assaults with bear deterrent, Goertzen said in press release that will deter people from using the spray illegally.

“It will also assist with tracing in the event of an incident,” he said.

In Winnipeg, police officers responded to three separate bear-spray assaults in the St. Vital area on Monday, according to CBC News.

Here in Brandon, Sararas said the police service has seen an increase in the use of bear spray as a weapon over the years, although weapons in general have been on the rise. However, bear mace is easy to access and is an effective weapon, Sararas said.

The mace is debilitating and causes burning eyes and coughing.

The sale of bear spray is currently classified as a pesticide and is regulated under the Pesticides and Fertilizers Control Act, which requires anyone who supplies, sells or distributes a pesticide to obtain a licence.

The act compels a person with a pesticide dealer licence to keep a record of all commercial and restricted products they sell.

According to a provincial spokesperson, when purchasing bear spray from a licensed local outlet online, customers will still have to collect the mace at the store in person. A declaration form will also have to be completed as per the new regulations.

Matthew Hipwell, owner of the Virden-based sporting goods store Wolverine Supplies, said the situation in rural western Manitoba is very different than the needs of Winnipeg.

“Our bear spray tends to get sold to those individuals who are outdoors people, actively hiking or camping or archery hunters,” he said. “That’s were a majority of our product goes.”

Hipwell said he hasn’t seen an increase in the sale of bear spray, and he doesn’t see people coming into his store exclusively to buy bear spray.

The new regulations will not create any extra work for his business, he said, as the store already has a system for collecting customer information.

As of Friday, he said he had not received any notification or instruction from the province on the new changes nor how to submit customer information to the government.

The provincial spokesperson said the department will contact and work with licensed dealers of bear repellant to have purchasers complete the declaration form.

According to the press release, the province is asking the federal government to consider stronger restrictions for bear mace in Canada. The province is also considering changes to the age requirements to purchase bear spray in Manitoba. Currently, there is no age restriction.

» gmortfield@brandonsun.com