City should lead by example, says Bear Aware coordinator
By Bill Metcalfe
There are about 145 garbage cans on city property in Nelson, and only two of them are wildlife-proof. This despite the city’s wildlife attractant bylaw that carries a $2000 fine for residents whose outside garbage containers could be opened by a bear or a raccoon.
While the city appears to be in violation of the spirit of its own bylaw, it is at least taking an even-handed approach: it doesn’t expect residents to comply either. And it does nothing to educate the public about the bylaw.
“We are guilty of not enforcing that bylaw,” Mayor John Dooley said at the May 26 city council meeting. “It’s like the pesticide bylaw that way.”
Surviving an hour with a grizzly
Those comments were in response to a presentation by the local Bear Aware coordinator Joanne Siderius, who brought with her to the meeting a residential garbage container designed to thwart even the most aggressive animal.
“This is certified bear-resistant,” she said. “This design has survived an hour with a grizzly with meat in the container.”
But Nelson residents are unlikely to see such a container in local back yards any time soon, because a single unit costs about $450 including shipping and can only be purchased in Vancouver or Canmore.
Siderius said some residents in other communities, including Kaslo, Revelstoke, and Fernie, are using the bear-proof containers with the assistance of local governments and supported by a provincial government funding program that no longer exists.
Bear advice for council
“Nelson is a large community and should be taking the lead,” Siderius said. She had three suggestions for council:
1. Facilitate the acquisition of bear-resistant cans for residents who want to keep garbage outside. This could involve partnering with the regional district or other communities for bulk buying.
2. Change the city website to make the contents of the wildlife attractant bylaw more obvious.
3. Replace open city garbage containers with bear-resistant containers.
Mayor Dooley suggested that bear-proof garbage containers could be phased in on city property, starting with the one at the top of Stanley Street (pictured above).
Dooley also suggested that “harvesting” of bears could be looked at, similar to one of the options put forward for deer in some communities in the East Kootenay.
Community dumpsters
Councillor Paula Kiss suggested finding “creative solutions that are community-builders, neighbours helping neighbours, or neighbourhood bear-proof dumpsters.”
Siderius says some communities including Canmore and Whistler have community dumpster programs. “Every ten or fifteen houses has a secure bear resistant dumpster and they can take their garbage there and don’t have to store it at home,” she told The Nelson Daily.
“It’s a communal system. Canmore found it is cheaper than curb-side and people prefer it because they don’t need to have a garbage can. They just take the garbage out in the morning on their walk or on the way to work.”
Nelson’s bear death stats
Siderius told council that in 2012, six bears were destroyed in the city because of bear-human conflict. The numbers have remained steady over time: her statistics show that beginning in 2006, the number of annual bear deaths has varied between zero and six.
“But if you look at B.C. the number used to be 900 and it’s down to 500,” she said. “Province-wide it has decreased but in Nelson and other local communities the number has stayed consistent.”
A bear in the garbage is a dead bear
“People get lax unless they actually see a bear in the garbage,” says Siderius. “They probably don’t realize that means the bear will probably be destroyed eventually.”
