You can legally purchase bear-spray up here, Dan, but I believe you'd need to show some sort of licence that you're going bear hunting. I've never been a hunter so I really am not sure of the facts concerning things like bear-spray. The ban is due to the odd kid stealing his Dad's tin of b/s and running around squirting people with it, about the same amount of times there is a knife crime committed. And yes, mace for use on humans is also not allowed.
As far as I know, it's always been illegal to carry a knife for self defence in Canada, not just the last you heard my friend.
I'm certain the knives coming from Roland would have been all legal, since he was fully aware of the import/export knife laws and wouldn't have risked hurting his business trying to export illegal knives. Slip-joints with nail-nicks and any length blade or any locking system are legal for import/export, all others you will have problems with.
I believe Canadian knife laws are the worst anywhere, the UK included, and have been for quite some time now.