Edmonton city council votes to ban the sale of knives in convenience stores

Edmonton city council has voted to ban the sale of knives in convenience stores. 

A new convenience store business licence category will be created, but implementing the changes can only happen when a licence is up for renewal. Full implementation of the bylaw could take years. 

Convenience stores aren't breaking the law by stocking knives — the ones at issue aren't considered prohibited weapons under the Criminal Code.

Administration still needs to draft the new bylaw and then council will need to approve it. 

"In June 2024, EPS Beats Team determined that 17 out of 30 convenience stores in the areas of 107 Avenue and 118 Avenue were openly selling knives," a council report reads, in part. 

"This number does not reflect the whole of the community, as EPS indicated the problem is citywide."

The motion was twofold: Council unanimously voted to approve the first part of the motion, which does not require funding. 

Enforcement will be partially based on complaints. The report on this option indicates that files are flagged for enforcement and then added to the queue. These complaints will not be prioritized over other complaints. 

Coun. Erin Rutherford said during the meeting that she recognizes the problem and believes something should be done about the issue, but she wasn't sure that this was the way to deal with it. She said people can still buy knives elsewhere, like online.

"This is about reducing opportunities for opportunistic, impulsive purchases," Coun. Ashley Salvador said in response. She also is the councillor who put the motion on the floor. 

"Quite frankly I've connected with a lot of parents whose kids are in junior high and they don't have access to online purchasing in the same way. So, I think that's something that is weighing on my mind … it's about that ease of access."

The second part of the motion asked administration to prepare a service package for a "leaner funding" option that council would look at as part of Fall 2024 supplemental operating budget adjustments. Councillors Keren Tang, Rutherford and Jennifer Rice were opposed.