This is a common misconception area, so it's worth being precise. In Canada, security guards (and even private citizens) can make a "citizen's arrest" under section 494 of the Criminal Code, but the conditions are narrow and the legal risk of getting it wrong falls on the guard and the business.
Generally, a citizen's arrest for shoplifting is only legally supportable if the person is caught in the act (or immediately after, in "hot pursuit") committing an indictable offense, or if the property owner (or their authorized representative, which includes a security guard) has reasonable grounds to believe someone is committing or has just committed an offense in relation to their property. The person detaining someone must hand them over to police as soon as reasonably possible — they cannot detain someone indefinitely or use excessive force.
This is exactly why training matters so much for security guards working in retail. A poorly handled detainment — grabbing the wrong person, using unnecessary force, or holding someone without sufficient grounds — can expose the guard and the retailer to a lawsuit for false imprisonment or assault, even if the person actually did shoplift.
Well-trained guards are taught to prioritize de-escalation and documentation over physical intervention wherever possible: observing, following store protocol, involving management, and calling police rather than physically confronting a suspected shoplifter unless the situation genuinely requires it.
If you're a retailer setting policy for your security team, it's worth having explicit, written guidelines on this, developed with your security provider and ideally reviewed against current Alberta and federal law.
More on retail security guard training: https://alpineprotection.ca/security-guard-cost/
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