Just hours after the new Wascana Pool opened for the season, the pool was forced to close after a bear spray incident.
Around 2:10 p.m., Regina Police were called to the pool after a report of a weapons incident. When they got there, police said they found upwards of 200 people who were suffering from the effects of bear spray.
Witnesses told the officers that a group of four to five suspects wearing balaclavas and other face coverings entered the facility and began to discharge a can of bear spray.
Witnesses describe the suspects as males who are approximately 13-16 years old.
The Regina Police patrol unit, canine unit, and officers from the investigative services unit are investigating.
In a statement from the City of Regina, they say police responded to an incident involving an altercation in a changeroom. The pool was closed for the rest of the day.
The pool will re-open on Friday, but increased security measures, including having security guards on site, will be implemented, the city said.