The City of Port Coquitlam is offering a free information session for residents, to learn how to safely co-exist with bears on Wed. Oct., 9 from 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. at the Port Coquitlam Community Centre (PCCC) – JB Young Room (2nd floor) – 2150 Wilson Avenue.
City staff will provide information focusing on bear behaviours in an urban environment, the role the animals play in the community and how to prevent conflict with humans.
Residents will also learn practical and effective tips for managing bear attractants and responding to bear encounters safely. This session will help to keep bears and resident homes safe. Attendees can share questions to be answered by City staff and Bylaws Officers during Q&A period. Register online at portcoquitlam.ca/bears. Refreshments and snacks will be provided.
Lock It Right
Residents and businesses can do their part and avoid a $500 fine by following the City’s garbage regulations:
- SECURE garbage and food scraps in either a wildlife-resistant enclosure (e.g. garage or shed) or by using the City’s wildlife-resistant cart lock
- SET OUT carts between 5:30-7:30 a.m. on collection day and re-secure your carts by 7:00 p.m.
Properties without secure storage space for carts are required to use a City cart lock, or certified alternative, at all times except for the day of collection. Instructions for proper lock use are available at portcoquitlam.ca/lockitright.
Residents who would like to request the additional third arm for added security or to be placed on a waitlist for a lock can contact Public Works at [email protected] or by phone at 604-927-5496.
The City’s Ambassador continues to be out in the community performing waste cart audits to ensure residents and businesses are securing their waste and removing other wildlife attractants.
The best protection against bears is to physically keep waste and other attractants out of reach by taking these additional measures:
- Storing carts in a garage if possible.
- Freezing meat and strong-smelling food scraps, and only placing them in the green cart on collection day.
- Feeding pets indoors, cleaning barbecues after use, and keeping freezers indoors or locked up.
- Avoiding the storage of strong-smelling garbage or scented products outdoors.
- Harvesting fruit and vegetables as they ripen and cleaning up any fallen fruit.
- Removing bird feeders from April to November, or suspending them higher than 3.3 metres.
- Blocking access to small animals and berry bushes.
Bears are food driven and are feeding on natural and unnatural food sources including bird feeders, suet, chickens, rabbits and garbage. After bears find a meal once in a garbage cart, they quickly learn to check all the homes on a street and teach their cubs to do the same.
The increased bear activity in neighbourhoods is directly related to the availability of food. After bears find a meal once in a waste cart or from a backyard fruit tree, they quickly learn to return to the area and teach their cubs to do the same. These “garbage bears” lose their natural fear of humans and often become aggressive over time.
Be Cautious on the Trails:
- Travel with someone else or a group.
- Be alert where bears may not be able to see, hear, or smell you.
- Make noise (talk loudly, clap or sing) to let the bear know you are there.
- Keep children close and dogs on a leash at all times.
- Watch for fresh bear signs (droppings, tracks, scratches on trees, overturned boulders, or smashed logs).
- Never approach a bear – maintain a distance of at least 100 metres.
Residents can report unsecured wildlife attractants in their neighbourhood at portcoquitlam.ca/report, using the Report it App or by calling 604-927-3111.
The public is also advised to call the Provincial Conservation Officer Service 24-hour toll-free hotline at 1-877-952-RAPP or at rapp.bc.ca if they witness an aggressive or threatening bear or coyote or if there is a conflict that threatens public safety. This provides records for tracking wildlife encounters, which is essential in education and enforcement efforts to reduce human-wildlife conflict.
For more information about regulations and resources, visit portcoquitlam.ca/bears or call 604.927.5496.