City of Vancouver officially bans the sale and use of bear bangers

After what it said was a growing number of complaints from residents, the City of Vancouver announced on Friday that it has banned the sale and use of bear bangers.

In a release, the city said the decision comes after a vote on the matter by council.

• See also:
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  • VPD responds as residents report increase in bear banger explosions

“These regulations are in response to the increased inappropriate use of these devices within Vancouver and come into effect immediately, so anyone now selling or using these devices in Vancouver may be subject to a ticket carrying a fine of $1000,” the City said.

The City said that in April of this year, staff began to receive an increase in complaints about explosive sounds heard throughout downtown and surrounding areas. Officials noted that in the first six months of 2020, a total of  180 complaints were logged and the VPD responded to over 360 calls.

“There is also evidence from the VPD that exploding animal deterrents have been modified for use as improvised explosive devices, posing a threat to public safety,” the City said.

Exploding animal deterrents such as bear bangers, air bangers and seal bombs are a hand-held, loud, exploding device and are meant to be used to deter wildlife in remote areas.

Under the Federal Explosives Act, using exploding animal deterrents such as bear bangers for anything other than personal protection from wildlife is illegal.