A Saskatoon business has been fined $7,000 for unlawfully selling bear spray and failing to record buyer information. This is the first court penalty issued under the city’s updated business licence bylaw established a year ago. The City of Saskatoon says the fine was imposed by Saskatoon’s bylaw court on June 30 after a business on the 500 block of 20th Street West was convicted of violating the bylaw. The penalty includes a $2,000 victim surcharge along with fines of $1,500 for unlawfully selling bear spray and $3,500 for failing to record the purchaser’s information. City council approved amendments to the business licence bylaw last year requiring bear spray purchasers to be at least 18 years old and provide two pieces of government-issued identification. Businesses must record the purchaser’s name, identification number, date of birth and address and make that information available to the city. Bear spray must also be stored in a secure area out of customers’ view and only products bearing a manufacturer’s serial number may be sold. The city says the case was investigated by the Saskatoon Police Service with assistance from the City’s community standards department.
