2
www.thefreepress.ca
THE FREE PRESS, Thursday, August 27, 2009
Wishing Rick & Shari Gris
a Happy 40 th Anniversary August 23, 2009
Mom & Dad, Your love and friendship over the years is an inspiration to us all! Love Tanya, Dwight, Nevaeh, Brody & Jaelyn, Nicole & Chris, Shane, Kathy, Sienna & Seneca, Andrea & Blair
BEAR AWARE OPEN HOUSE Saturday, September 5th College of the Rockies, Fernie Campus 4:oo to 8:00 pm • Featuring a slide show at 7:00 pm by
Grizzly Bear Expert Charlie Russell and much more…
• 4:00 to 5:00 pm: Kids Activities: crafts/songs/stories • 4:00 to 7:00 pm: Workshops and Displays, Charlie Russell’s movie “The Edge of Eden”, book signing by Charlie and much more…
As this educational event is free of charge (donations are welcome) all participants are required to register. To avoid delays the day of, we suggest that you preregister at the C.O.T.R. in person or call 250-423-4691.
For more details contact your local Bear Aware Program. www.bearaware.bc.ca Funding contributions provided by:
Garbage
wars
Battle against early bins in Elkford
neighbour will assist us with the bears.” Last week’s early evening patrol caught 29 early bins, versus 35 the previous week. The patrol takes place at a different time each week, sometimes getting people out of bed to point a flashBy Rebecca Edwards light at their bin on the sidewalk. Free Press Staff Clark says that recently he was called out to a barking dog e’re at 2 a.m. and saw bins outside from around 170 of the houses in town. Bear “We want to get that down Aware and we’re Sarah Smith of Elk Valley Bear Aware slaps an going door-to-door information sticker on an overfilled bin breaking local bylaws to zero,” says Smith, looking trying to make sure that say bins shouldn’t be on the sidewalk until after 5 a.m. hopeful. Next morning the garbage Photo by R. Edwards people don’t put collection. collection takes place and a their garbage out bear sighting is called in by the early. It attracts wildlife into the when dealing with garbage.” Smith and Scott go from street public works department. street and we’re trying to stop that.” to street, stopping by bins that are “It could have been just a random It’s 7:30 p.m. and Sarah Smith of Bear Aware is just beginning to patrol placed on public land to slap a sticker sighting,” says Smith. “But chances on the lid and talk to the owner, if are it was attracted by garbage. Elkford. “Once a bear has got into garbage The search is on - not for roam- they’re home. Most residents seem unaware of once, unless the town is cleared of ing bears, but for delinquent wheelie the bylaw and apologetically move garbage it is going to find more and bins. Every Wednesday this summer the bin back against the house once after five or six times they are classified as habituated and food condiSmith along with District of Elkford they’ve heard the reason for it. Others aren’t so understanding tioned. They have less fear of humans bylaw officer Dave Scott have been patrolling the streets in search of one guy comes out to stop them and and can become more aggressive. garbage cans already out on the side- tells them he’s never taken his large That is what we want to prevent.” • For more information call bylaw walk - more than 12 hours before wheelie bin indoors and will never do it. officer Dave Scott at 250-865-4024 they will be collected by an autoAnother man angrily defends his • What do you think of the Bear mated collection on Thursday. Elkford District bylaw states that choice of putting his vacationing Aware sticker program? Email freeit is a finable offence to place a solid neighbour’s garbage out a day early. press@shawcable.com or call 250Elsewhere in town there is evi- 423-4666. waste cart out for pickup prior to 5 dence of an even bigger problem – a a.m. on the date set for solid waste garbage can filled to the brim with collection. stinking rubbish, which Smith says Residents who ignore the bylaw would be a dream discovery for a could be hit with a $50 penalty but hungry bear. the Bear Aware initiative is designed “We took a walk behind a street to educate people before it gets to Elkford last year and found bear scat with that point. • Niagra Crescent - bear sighting remnants of diapers in it. Each bin they find on public land during garbage pick up – Thursday, “Other bins are tied down with before 5 a.m. is marked with a fluorAugust 20 escent sticker stating it has broken bungee cord, as though that will stop • Natal - bear sighting in the the bylaw and giving Scott’s phone the bear getting in. daytime feeding on berries - Friday “The worst bins are the communal number in case they want more inforbins for apartment complexes which August 21 mation. • Peace Park on Friday, Aug. 21 In Elkford, where around half the are out in the open 24/7 and bears • Balmer Crescent - Female black residents work 7 a.m to 7 p.m. shifts knock them over like nothing. You bear and cub sighted in the aftercan see the scratch marks on the side at the mines, it may be tempting to noon Sunday, August 23 put the garbage out before work or of them. Mayor of Elkford Dean McKerracher bed, but it has serious consequences, Fernie says that since 2007 the district has says Scott. • A bear has been seen passsaved thousands of dollars through “Nine bears were shot in Elkford ing through properties on lower the new automated collection system, last year – all of them garbage bears Timberline Crescent and on that had become used to eating from where a truck automatically empties Boomerang Way at Fernie Alpine the large wheelie bins at each house. bins. He added: “We have a regular col- Resort. “Most people probably don’t know • Many bear sightings (black and lection schedule so people should that until I tell them – they’re usually grizzly) seen in and around the now know when they have to put pretty shocked. bike park at Fernie Alpine Resort “The people who had bear traps set their bin out. If they really can’t do • A bear and two cubs seen on it in the morning I would like to see up in their yards get pretty upset too Dem Bones bike trail in Mount when they find out the bear has been them asking their neighbours to put Fernie Provincial Park shot. So I’m thinking, let’s do better their bin out for them, being a good
“W
Bear Corner Bear sightings