The owner of a North End retail business has been charged with illegally selling bear spray and cannabis products.

The Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) said the Liquor, Gaming, and Cannabis Control Act (LGCCA) investigation began Mar. 28, when Manitoba Finance investigators inspected a business in the 600 block of Alfred Avenue. The business owner was not present for the inspection.

Investigators found several illegal items, including 18 full canisters of bear spray, three partial canisters of bear spray, and more than $1500 worth of packaged cannabis products.

The cannabis products were not labeled for sale, and the business was not licensed to sell either cannabis or bear spray. Police issued an arrest warrant for the store owner the next day.

Earlier this week, the province passed new, tougher restrictions on bear spray sales in an effort to reduce its use in crime.

On April 7, police arrested the suspect at a home in the first 100 block of Castle Ridge Drive.

A 28-year-old Winnipeg woman faces several charges, which have yet to be proven in court.

She has been released on a promise to appear.