Saskatoon police responded to three bear spray incidents on Wednesday

Police in Saskatoon were kept busy on Wednesday, responding to three separate incidents involving bear spray.

The first incident happened just after 3 p.m., when officers were called to the 2100 block of 22nd Street West for a report of a man who had been bear sprayed. He was treated at the scene by paramedics, police said, but the suspects were gone by the time officers arrived.

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Then, at around 5:40 p.m., officers were called to the 1300 block of 22nd Street West for another report of a man who had been sprayed.

“Upon arrival, officers located a man suffering from the effects of bear spray. The male victim did not wish to receive medical care,” the Saskatoon Police Service said in a statement.

Once again, the suspects had fled before police arrived.

The third incident happened at around 11:30 p.m. that same night, when police were called to the 300 block of Avenue C South for another report of an injured person.

“Upon arrival, officers located a woman suffering from the effects of bear spray; she told officers it happened near the basketball courts by the river,” the police service said. “(The) victim did not wish to be treated by paramedics.”

Anyone with information on any of the three incidents was asked to contact police or make an anonymous report through Crime Stoppers.

Earlier this year, the provincial government announced new regulations aiming to reduce the number of criminal incidents involving bear spray.

The changes include regulations to restrict the possession of bear spray in public urban spaces, and a ban on altering bear spray in order to hide or disguise the product’s identity.

Anyone charged under the new regulations could face fines of up to $100,000.