Prince Albert city council voted Monday to direct administration to prepare a draft bylaw and supporting report related to the Safe Public Spaces Act, a move the City says is about preparation rather than a commitment to opt into the provincial legislation.
The motion, brought forward by Mayor Bill Powlinsky, asks administration to return with a draft opting in bylaw and any amendments required to align the city’s existing Dangerous Weapons Bylaw with the Safe Public Spaces Act, sometimes referred to as the Street Weapons Act.
“This is not opting in today,” Powlinsky said during the meeting “This is simply getting ready so we are not behind when regulations are finalized.”
Powlainsky said the intent was to allow council to consider the issue more efficiently once provincial details are finalized, rather than delaying a decision while legal and administrative work is completed.
City solicitor Mitchell Holash told council the motion would not result in immediate enforcement changes and would require a separate council decision before the city could opt in.
“This is about preparing a framework,” Holash said. “Council would still need to make a separate decision to opt in before anything takes effect.”
Several councillors supported the preparatory approach while emphasizing the need for clarity around what the legislation would actually change.
Coun. Darren Solomon said he viewed the motion as a step toward addressing growing concerns around street weapons while still allowing the council to assess the impact.
“I do appreciate the intent of this motion,” Solomon said. “I look forward to possibly another tool to help in the fight against crime in our city.”
Coun. Troy Parneteau expressed caution, saying council needed to clearly understand what additional authority the bylaw would provide beyond existing laws.
“I just hope that this bylaw doesn’t give people a sense of extra security that the back alley bylaw did,” Parenteau said. “I have some questions about whether this really does achieve anything different than what we already have.”
The vote follows detailed discussions held at a Nov. 24 executive committee meeting, where council received a presentation from Prince Albert Police Service Chief Patrick Nogier outlining the implications of the Safe Public Spaces Act.
At that meeting, police and administration told council that many of the enforcement powers set out in the Act already exist under the Criminal Code, and warned against rushing into an opt-in decision without full regulatory clarity.
Nogier and administration also raised concerns about training requirements, legal rights, and the risk of public misunderstanding if new enforcement tools were not clearly defined and communicated.
Council ultimately agreed in November to wait for further provincial direction while continuing internal preparation and consultation.
Monday’s motion builds on that approach by directing administration to prepare draft bylaws and outline potential amendments without committing the city to implementation.
The Safe Public Spaces Act allows municipalities to opt in through regulation and provides administrative enforcement tools related to designated street weapons in public urban spaces.
Administration is expected to return to council with a report at a future meeting. No timeline has been set for when council would consider a final decision on opting into the Act.
arjun.pillai@paherald.sk.ca
