Edmonton’s city council is set to vote on a bylaw that would ban the sale of knives in convenience stores.
The move comes after community groups in the city requested more be done to curb violence and on the heels of Manitoba’s move to regulate bladed weapons in the province, including knives.
It also follows the stabbing of 11-year-old boy in a McDonald’s in November in that city, where a 12-year-old has been charged.
The city’s community and public services committee voted unanimously to send the bylaw to council for further discussion.
Convenience stores will be determined by the types of items it sells, the physical size of the store, and services commonly associated with a convenience store, according to committee documents.
It also defines knifes as “all items where a blade is axed to a handle” with basic cutlery being excluded.
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A fine of $2,000 can be issued for stores found in violation of the bylaw. That amount could be doubled for subsequent offences, the committee said during the Jan. 20 meeting.
However, the bylaw will take at least two years to implement, according to city administration. The committee documents indicate that the new requirements cannot be applied to existing businesses, but will come into effect as licenses are renewed.
The administration also said that letters will be sent out to businesses that may be impacted.
Enforcing the bylaw will be based on complaints made, with municipal enforcement officers investigating complaints.
As well, committee documents note that these complaints will not be prioritized over other types of complaints. It also notes that due to limited resources, enforcement actions could be limited or delayed.
The issue was raised by community groups at an urban planning committee meeting in April 2024. It was brought to the community and public services committee in September 2024. In October, city council passed a motion for the administration to develop a bylaw.
In community and public services committee documents, it notes a survey of retailers found that 14 out of 26 expressed concerns about requiring identification from buyers, as well as keeping knives secure. Twelve also expressed concern aobut not being able to sell grocery items in combination with all types of knives. Other retailers said they were concerned about not being able to sell items like tobacco, vaping products, alcohol, cannabis, and pharmaceuticals in combination with knives.
Alberta Avenue Business Association board member David Plamondon said the bylaw does not address the underlying issue of why people want these types of weapons.
“That’s the issue that we’d like to see them focus more on, the underlying issues,” he said in an interview with The Epoch Times.
He also said the bylaw was focused on convenience stores, but there were still other places to buy the knives.
“We’re in support of things that increase safety, but we want to make sure that they’re well thought out and that they are based on the consultation with businesses,” he said.
The bylaw discussion was held the same day that the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) said they had seized 79 prohibited weapons from a central Edmonton convenience store, including 71 prohibited knives.
Manitoba Ban on Knives
In October 2024, Manitoba introduced legislation to restrict knives and other bladed weapons in the province.
The legislation was given Royal Assent in November and regulates the sale of long-bladed weapons, like machetes, knives, and swords.
These items are required to be securely stored by a retailer, prohibited from being sold to those under 18. Photo identification is required to purchase the items and retailers must keep record of the purchases for at least two years.
“Manitoba has seen significant success in deterring crime through regulating the retail sale of products targeted for criminal purposes,” said Justice Minister Matt Wiebe.
“Access controls, age restrictions, and identification and record-keeping requirements have proven effective at combatting crime. Our government is expanding this approach to address long-bladed weapon violence in the province.”
The legislation defines long-bladed weapons as having a metal blade at least 30 centimetres in length.
Restrictions apply to online retailers that ship the items to Manitoba addresses, Wiebe said.
