Buying bear spray in Manitoba comes with extra steps, but advocates say it's not enough to curb misuse

You likely won't and shouldn't see bear spray on a store shelf in Manitoba, but you can still buy it providedyoushare some personal information, show identification at some businesses and sign an agreement saying you understand it's meant for repelling aggressive bears and not for useagainst humans.

But one community advocate who helped push for tighter rules in the province 14 years ago feels the regulations weren't and still aren't strong enough to prevent bear spray from being used as a weapon.

"This is a serious, serious issue because bear spray is builtto handle a 500-pound bear," saidSelBurrows, coordinator of PointPowerline, aninner-city crime prevention and community development group.

"When it sprays in a person's face it's really, really harmful."

CBCvisited eightWinnipeg stores Wednesday to find out how accessible bear spray isfollowing a series of unprovoked attacksin West Broadway and Downtown on Sunday in a matter of hours.

At least three people were attacked with aproductmeant only to be used as a last resort in a close encounterwith a bear. Police believe the attacks were related and are looking for two male suspects, but no arrests had been announced as of Wednesday night. It isn't known how the bear spray used was acquired.

Buying bear spray

Three of the storesCBCvisited had bear spray in stock.

At the first store, an employee of the big box retailer said the product is kept in their warehouse.CBCwas then approached bya loss prevention officer who askedfortwo pieces of photo IDandan explanation of how thebear spray would be used.

The store later accepted a driver's licence and health card astwo forms of identification asthe bear spray was purchased with a credit card.Buyersalso had to give theirname,address and phone number, andsign a declaration form withthe product serial number andthe buyer's personal information.

The store said the information would be shared with the province because the information can be tracked if something bad happens.

At a second storespecializingin outdoor merchandiseCBCwasn'trequired to show photoIDbut the buyer hadto fill out a formwith name, address and phone number. The store also asksbuyersto read a document about bear spray and saidtheproduct should be taken to a police station to be disposed of if nolonger needed.

Crime stats show incidents using bear spray on the rise

2 years ago

Duration 2:42

A series of recent attacks in Winnipeg involving bear spray has sparked calls for tougher regulations. Manitoba's Justice Minister wants information on where the canisters being used illegally are coming from.

Astore employee said theRCMPtracks the information it gets frombuyers,but theRCMPtoldCBCit does not track the sale of bear spray.

"We are aware that there is a report that is commonly filled out by sellers.However, we are not familiar with what the purpose would be or who receives/tracks that information," wrote Sgt. PaulManaigrein an email toCBC.

A third store, also specializing in outdoor merchandise, said they had bear spray in stock and would have to get it from a back room. Buyers would also be required to fill out paperwork before purchasing the product.

The other five storesCBCvisited do notcarry the product. One of the stores wasMECin downtown Winnipeg, which confirmed toCBCthe product is not sold there due to concerns it'll be misused.

Rick Shone, owner of Wilderness Supply, toldCBCin an interview on Tuesday they only sell bear spray to people who show photo identification and fill out paperwork with their name and address.

"The product is not just readily available for people to walk in and purchase off the shelves," Shone said.

Bear spray rules

According to a document on the province's website titledRegulation of Sales of Pepper Spray in Manitoba,Manitoba Agriculture is responsible for regulating the sale of bear spray because it's classified as a pesticide.

The documentstatedretailers must be licensed to sell it, and they're not allowed to display bear spray in areas accessible to customers. Anyone who wants to buy it must ask for bear spray. Retailers must also keep a record of sales and purchaser declaration forms.

There is no age restriction for people who want to buy bear spray, and the forms signed by purchasers don't require people to show photo identification. However, the province's policy encourages stores to ask for it.

Some stores have implemented their own policies asking people to provide identification.

'Far too easy to acquire': police chief

Winnipeg Police Service Chief DannySmythsaid on Tuesday officers are encountering bear spray enough to warrant a conversation in the community abouthow it's sold.

"Anyone can go into an outfitters store and buy bear spray,"Smythsaid. "It is bear spray, right, it's meant as bear repellent but we are seeing more and more examples of it where it's being used in a way it's not intended to be used."

"Right now it's just far too easy to acquire bear spray ... we're encountering people that are concealing it on their person or in backpacks here in the city. Not a lot of bears in the city so we know it's being used inappropriately."

MitchBourbonniere, a community activist and outreach worker who works with young people in central Winnipeg, said asking people for identification and to give their address doesn't stop bear spray from being sold on the street.

"That doesn'tstop what they call straw purchases where people who can buy it, go in, legally buy it and then there's a black market, there's an economy for it they can just sell it on the street,"Bourbonnieresaid.

KelvinGoertzen, Manitoba's Justice Minister, said he wants more information from provincial officials on where bear spray being used illegally is coming from, but Winnipeg police andRCMPtoldCBCthey don't trace the serial number of bear spray canisters seized by officers.

Store under investigation: province

A spokesperson for Derek Johnson, Manitoba's Agriculture Minister, said in a emailed statement late Wednesday stores that fail to comply with the regulations could face a licence suspension, fine, or both.

"No stores in Manitoba have lost their licences over the past three years for selling bear spray, though the province is currently investigating one store over a possible violation," the spokesperson said.

"If someone is selling bear spray without a licence, Manitoba Agriculture encourages people to contact the department with this information for further investigation."

Manitoba Agriculture said unless police inform them a dealer's product has been involved, they would have no way of knowing.

Burrows wants bear spray salesbanned in urban areas, but isn't convinced that'll happen. At the very least, he said everyone buying bear spray should be required to provide photo identification which should be sent to the province so the police can track who's buying bear spray used in crimes.

"If they don't have photo IDand don't have an address, then don't sell it to them."