New legislation regulates dangerous drugs like methamphetamine, fentanyl
Saskatchewan has shared that the Safe Public Spaces (Street Weapons) Act – regulating the possession, transportation, and storage of knives, hypodermic needles, machetes, bear spray, and other items possibly operable as street weapons – has come into force on Aug. 1.
The new legislation prohibits the possession of items that people could utilize as street weapons in public spaces, the defacement or alteration of those items, and the possession of those defaced or altered items, according to a news release from the Saskatchewan government.
Saskatchewan said the new law also enhances police officers’ authority to seize such items in public spaces if there is a public safety threat.
The new legislation includes exemptions intending to permit people to keep using these items for legitimate reasons like food preparation, wildlife threat protection, or medical purposes (for hypodermic needles).
In its news release, the provincial government said the new law seeks to improve safety in public urban spaces, which could include public buildings, parks, playgrounds, land or buildings entered without the owner’s permission, condominium or apartment common areas, unoccupied land or buildings, or vehicles traversing public spaces.
The news release added that the new legislation also aims to add tools to eliminate dangerous drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamine from Saskatchewan’s communities to promote citizens’ health and safety.
Applicability
In the news release, the provincial government explained that municipalities and First Nations could opt into the new legislation. If they chose to do so, they would empower police to tackle street weapons via harmonized provincial rules and offences. Otherwise, the new law would be inapplicable in those municipalities or First Nations.
“The coming-into-force of this Act will empower law enforcement and give them an important tool to appropriately address individuals that use street weapons to intimidate or harm people in public spaces,” said Tim McLeod, Saskatchewan’s justice minister and attorney general, in the news release.
Saskatchewan said those violating the new legislation could face:
- a charge for a provincial offence and
- a maximum fine of $5,000, a year’s imprisonment at most, or both a fine and imprisonment
“The government is committed to increased public safety measures to ensure all Saskatchewan citizens feel safe and protected in their communities,” McLeod said in the news release.
In 2024–25 and 2025–26, the provincial government invested $2 billion in public safety. Part of the investment seeks to support policing and community safety and improve access-to-justice services.
On Apr. 14, Saskatchewan’s Legislative Assembly introduced amendments to the newly effective legislation to include fentanyl, hypodermic needles, and methamphetamine. The provincial government’s news release at the time said these additions aimed to acknowledge the risks these items posed to public safety.
“We are dedicated to creating safer communities for all Saskatchewan residents,” McLeod said in the previous news release. “This legislation represents a pivotal step in ensuring that public spaces remain places of enjoyment and comfort, free from intimidation, violence caused by street weapons and illicit drugs.”
