By KEVIN BERGER, Local Journalism Initiative
During their October 28 meeting, RM of Corman Park councillors passed all three readings on a bylaw opting the municipality into The Safe Public Spaces (Street Weapons Act.
The legislation, which came into effect on August 1, 2025, promotes safety in urban spaces by regulating the possession, transportation and storage of weapons that can be used as “street weapons.”
Under the act, a street weapon can refer to the following: a knife that is 30 centimetres or larger, a sword, machete, hatchet, axe, hammer, sledgehammer, hypodermic needs that are not used for legitimate medical purposes, explosive devices, wildlife control products like bear spray, and fentanyl/methamphetamine for non-legitimate purposes.
Urban spaces can refer to parks, playgrounds, cinemas, outdoor theatres, highways, streets, roads, the common areas of condominiums or apartment buildings, and any other buildings or places to which the public is permitted access.
Bylaw 46-25 was originally reviewed at the October 14 administration committee meeting.
On behalf of the Corman Park Police Commission, Division 5 Councillor Arthur Pruim urged the committee to recommend to council that this bylaw be passed.
“We do not have the jurisdiction at the police commission to do this; we had to bring it forward to council here to create this bylaw,” he said. “It will empower our officers to deal with these items when necessary under the circumstances.”
Division 2 Councillor John Saleski asked how this bylaw would be applied when it comes to, say, a construction worker with an axe or sledgehammer in the back of his half-ton.
Corman Park Health and Safety Co-ordinator David Bryden suggested the “genesis of this act” was a number of incidents involving bear spray.
Bryden suggested that the construction worker having an axe or hammer would be considered a legitimate use, noting there are also provisions for retailers to possess these items.