Stricter bear spray rules could be coming to Vancouver after police raise alarm about its use
In response to concerns raised by police about incidents involving bear spray, Vancouver city council is being asked to tighten restrictions on the item's sale and display – and to impose hefty fines for sellers who break the rules.
A report from city staff recommending a new bylaw is set to be voted on at next Tuesday's meeting.
The recommended changes are to prohibit the sale of bear spray to anyone who is under 19 or who does not provide ID and to require sellers to document every sale. Records of each transaction would include the purchaser's name and details about the ID they presented, and those records would have to be kept for at least a year and produced if requested by a city official. Displays, the report proposes, should be locked or otherwise made inaccessible to the public.
The proposal further recommends a violation ticket of $1,000 be issued for each infraction.
"Regulating the sale of bear spray is a proactive measure to increase public safety and potentially reduce the number of violent offences involving these products in Vancouver, particularly by youth," the report says.
"Staff did not consider an outright ban on the sale of bear spray to ensure adults who require bear spray for its intended usage still have access to it at businesses in Vancouver. The recommendations proposed by staff are aimed at striking a balance between protecting public safety while supporting businesses."
Statistics provided by the Vancouver Police Department detail the number of annual offences reported over the past five years involving the use of bear spray, specifically in cases involving threats, assaults, and robberies.
In 2018, the total was 429 and in 2022 it was 721. The highest number of cases was recorded in 2020, with 730. Cases involving youth have seen annual increases since 2018 – from 52, to 70, to 80, to 100, to 115.
"While possession or sale of bear spray – including to a minor – is not illegal, it becomes a public safety issue and can become a criminal offence when used for purposes other than its intended use," the staff report says.
The report notes that municipal governments in Surrey, Chilliwack and Port Coquitlam have taken measures to regulate the sale and display of bear spray. The report says those measures have been successful in decreasing its use in police-reported crimes, but detailed data is not provided.
Because a municipal bylaw approach to regulation can not prevent people from travelling to neighbouring cities or ordering the product online, the staff report also asks the mayor to write to B.C.'s environment minister to advocate for a province-wide response.
The province could require bear spray to be classified as a "restricted pesticide," which would require vendors to get a license to sell it and to keep records for each sale.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
Storage shed or shipping container? B.C. Supreme Court settles long-running bylaw dispute
A long-running dispute over whether a structure on a Surrey property violates a city bylaw that prohibits shipping containers on residential lots has been settled by the B.C. Supreme Court