Bear Smart Season - Do Your Part to Help Protect Bears
By City of Castlegar
The City and WildSafeBC remind residents to manage bear attractants to keep our community safe and avoid the preventable destruction of bears.
Spring is here and the bears are coming out of hibernation. They are hungry and are in Castlegar neighbourhoods sniffing out food sources.
“Castlegar has achieved Bear Smart community status which means we are dedicated to keeping bears safe and reducing human-bear conflict,” says Tracey Butler, the City’s Director of Corporate Services. “The easiest things our residents and businesses can do is proactively manage their bear attractants to avoid unintentionally bringing them into conflict with people.”
Last year, nine bears had to be put down in the Castlegar area. This may be preventable if we all take responsibility for managing bear attractants.
The best way to keep people and bears safe is to remove access to all sources of food and continue reporting sightings or conflicts to the Conservation Officer Service at 1-877-952-7277 so they are aware of problem areas and can help before the animal becomes food conditioned and or habituated.
How can people help?
Your Garbage Cart
- Lock and store carts in a secure building between your collection day.
- Carts left outside must have both clips locked and be chained to a strong post or tree between collections. It is more difficult for bears to break into a cart if it is fixed upright.
- Only place carts on the curb with clips unlocked between 4-7 a.m. on your collection day. Fines up to $200 may be issued for carts not secured or placed on the curb outside of collection windows.
- If your cart or clips are damaged, contact the City.
Reduce Odours
- Freeze especially smelly food items. Add them to your cart on your collection day (ie: meat, bones, rotten fruit, etc).
- Take additional garbage to the landfill.
- Clean your cart regularly. Add ¼ cup of baking soda and ¼ cup of Borax to absorb odours.
- Secure and manage backyard compost carefully by adding small amounts at a time and never add meat, dairy, bones or grease.
- Pick all domestic fruit and nuts as they ripen.
- Feed pets inside and store pet food inside.
- Remove bird feeders until winter.
- Install electric fencing.
Prevent Other Attractants
- Pick all domestic fruit and nuts as they ripen.
- Feed pets inside and store pet food inside.
- Remove bird feeders until winter.
- Install electric fencing.
The City of Castlegar is a service centre in the West Kootenay. The diversified and growing economy is focused on the forestry, energy and mining sectors in the valley, and commercial services in the City. Quality of life features backcountry adventure and an increasingly dynamic urban culture, including the Millennium Park & Ponds and Sculpture Walk
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