Presentation: Addressing Human - Wildlife Conflict in View Royal

Background

• In June 2023 a mother bear, who had three young cubs, was trapped and killed in our neighbourhood.
• The cubs were also trapped and taken to the North Island Wildlife Recovery Center in Errington
• Conservation officer, Richard DeKelver commented
  • “there is a definite need to address garbage storage” in the neighbourhood.
  • The conflict and tragic outcome could have been avoided with “appropriate attractant management.”

Background

• Our neighbourhood is surrounded by Thetis Lake Regional Park, an important wildlife corridor that provides vital habitat for large carnivores such as bears and cougars (CRD).
• Many houses back directly onto park land, some without fences.
• Other View Royal housing developments also border Thetis Lake Park
• Bears are often sighted in our neighbourhood and surrounding areas.
• The neighbourhoods adjacent to Thetis Lake Park are particularly deserving of attention to these matters, though the matters apply to the whole Town.

Background

• Bears can easily learn from a single experience that pushing over a garbage bin can yield a reward – human food
• They behaviour patterns then change; they make the association between humans and food and become less scared of humans
• Bear and human conflicts then become more likely
• The best way to prevent these conflicts is to manage attractants

Requests

We come before council today with two requests:

1. Development of a new Wildlife Attractants Bylaw
2. Provision of bear proof waste bins (residential and in public spaces)

Bylaw Request

• We request a new town bylaw that would:
  • Deter leaving garbage and food waste unsecured and accessible to wildlife
  • Garbage and food waste would need to be stored in garages, enclosures or bearproof bins.
  • Bins would need to be placed on the curb the day of pickup, not the day before or earlier.
  • May ask people to pick up fruit that has fallen from their trees.
  • Consider requirement to clean barbecues and tools
  • Consider rules around compost piles
• Could be modelled after Bylaws in Port Alberni, Squamish, Radium Hot Springs, etc.
• Bear Smart BC has a template that can be used as a guide to developing the Bylaw
• E.g. “No person shall knowingly or willingly leave or store any attractant, refuse, food product, pet food or grain in a manner which would constitute an attractant to wild animals.”

Education and Outreach

• Town could send letters to residents outlining steps they can take to improve our neighbourhood’s waste disposal practices
• Include information about good waste disposal practices:
  • In Newsletter from Mayor
  • Mailout with Town bills
  • Put Bear Smart info on Website
  • e.g. City of Kamloops

Bear Proof Waste Bins Request

Residential

• Current bins are not bear-proof and can pop open if tipped over.
• Not all residents have a secure place to store their bins.
• Sometimes garbage pick up is delayed and bins are left out for multiple days
• We request that bear proof garbage bins be made available to help with successful implementation of the proposed Bylaw, and ultimately made available to the entire Town.

Bear Proof Waste Bin Examples

From Bear Smart BC re bear proof waste bins:

• Lids and doors should be recessed, self-closing and tight fitting to prevent odours from escaping.
• Latches on all lids and doors must be bear-resistant (i.e., bear’s claws unable to reach the latch trigger mechanism).
• Hinges and latches for lids must be sufficiently strong such that they cannot be pried open by claws (able to withstand several thousands of pounds of force). The rule of thumb is that if it can be dismantled using a crowbar then it is not bear-resistant.
• If the container is not able to be stored indoors, it must be sufficiently stable or capable of being anchored to a solid, stationary base to prevent tipping by large bears.
• Container material must be sufficiently strong to prevent bears from chewing, battering or crushing the container.
• Container should be constructed from corrosion-resistant materials to prevent rust and ensure long product life.
• All containers should be tested and certified bear-resistant by an independent group, like the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC). Note: while strict standards guide both testing facilities, products that are certified are not guaranteed to be bear-proof.

Residential garbage options

• Port Alberni provides clips to secure bins
• Canmore has community garbage bins
  • E.g. BearSaver or HaulAll Equipment Systems

Public garbage cans

• We ask that three open-topped garbage cans at Chalmers Park, Marler Park, and at the bus stop at Watkiss Way/Highland Rd be replaced with bear proof bins like those found in some locations in Thetis Lake park

Summary

• We believe that our two requests go hand in hand, and both are necessary to protect the bears that share our space.
• We encourage Town Council to consider ways that the Town of View Royal can promote education to residents about issues surrounding conflicts with bears
• Experts say that the best way to avoid conflicts is to remove attractants and manage garbage.
• We recommend that View Royal consider becoming a Bear Smart community, through provincial government program Bear Smart BC, along with communities like Port Alberni and 9 other BC communities. This may encourage other nearby communities to do the same.

Congratulations to the ten BC communities that have successfully attained official “Bear Smart” status:

• Kamloops
• Squamish
• Lions Bay
• Whistler
• Port Alberni
• Naramata
• New Denver
• Coquitlam
• Port Hardy
• Castlegar