Drake Stephens may not look like the Welcome Wagon lady of yesteryear but Coquitlam's bear aware co-ordinator is doing the same job with people moving into the new Burke Mountain community.
Stephens, a long time resident of Burke Mountain himself, is touring the city's newest neighbourhood to welcome people with tips for living with bears.
The community that will one day house 24,000 people backs onto the 38,000-hectare Pinecone Burke Provincial Park, which has bear habitat stretching all the way to Whistler. It's no wonder, then, that the area is frequented by bruins seeking to load up on calories with natural food sources or garbage from unsecured trash cans.
For Stephens, who grew up in the area on a hobby farm that was a bear magnet until his dad removed all the attractants and installed an electric fence, being bear aware is second nature.
"I'm supposed to be neutral but I'm probably characterized as a bear lover," says Stephens.
He says people who don't properly manage garbage and other attractants are as much to blame as bears for creating potential conflicts - maybe more. On average, seven bears are killed each year in Coquitlam and Stephens would like to see that number vastly reduced with proper stewardship of garbage, bird seed, ripe fruit and other potential bear attractants.
He was one of the first to purchase a special bear-proof container for storing his trash and even freezes his food-waste to reduce odours and urges others to do the same. When he visits new Burke Mountain residents, he says he's greeted with open arms because people new to the area are eager to learn how to live in harmony with bears.
"I knock on the door, it's 'welcome to the neighbourhood' and I let them know this is bear country, give them a brochure," he says. "I've done thousands of those over the last several years. People are happy to talk about it, share their tips and share their stories."
He's also helping the city enforce its garbage bylaw by scoping out neighbourhoods the night before trash collection day to make sure people aren't setting their garbage out early.
All cities in the Tri-Cities require garbage to be set out between 5:30 and 7:30 a.m. on collection day and will issue warnings and fines if these rules aren't followed. Garbage also must be properly secured in a garage or storage shed, and in many cases an animal-resistant storage container or locking device is required, too. Port Moody issues animal-resistant bins to its residents but requires they be tethered or locked up. Coquitlam sells animal-resistant containers for $140 and Port Coquitlam sells Critter Guard locks for $75.
There's a good reason for these rules, says Stephens, who has seen the devastation caused by people who set their garbage out early. The bears sniff it out and when they find out that garbage is available, they don't leave. Then they become a potential problem and usually end up dead.
"We're baiting the bears in," he warns.
Stephens isn't the only Burke Mountain resident who is helping new residents learn to live with bears. Realtor Rebecca Pembroke provides links on her website www.burkemountainhomes.com for people looking for information and will openly talk about the bruins when she's selling a home or welcoming a new family.
"It's one of the questions I get asked: 'Are there bears around here?'" said Permack. "It's something residents need to know about more."
A relatively new resident to Burke Mountain herself, Permack said her yard was visited by a bear cub and she's aware of the importance of securing garbage and getting rid of bear attractants. For some, "it's a pain to have to put your garbage out so early in the morning," but the ramifications of not doing so are messy when the trash is strewn about the road by bears or raccoons.
"It's really sad because we are encroaching on their territory. We need to do it with some respect."
BEAR FACTS
From the book 'Bear-Ology: Fascinating Bear Facts, Tales and Trivia,' with permission from the author Sylvia Dolson and the Get Bear Smart Society.
How do bears pick berries?
It's simple according to Jessica Teel, or www.grizzlybay.org. The secret is in a bear's lips. Unlike humans' lips, which are attached to our gums close to our teeth - bears' lips are large and extend greatly away from their teeth. Their lips are highly dexterous and can be used to grasp and manipulate objects - much the same way humans use their hands. Bears have long tongues, too, to scoop up ants or berries. A bear's tongue can reach six inches out of their mouth.
Do bears roar?
Not really. They do make loud guttural sounds and huffing noises, usually as a warning or in response to an attack. Often the sounds that bears make in Hollywood movies are dubbed-over lion roars. Bear fights are usually conducted in relative silence compared to how they are portrayed in films.
What's your bear story?
How have you been dealing with bears in your neighbourhood? Are they a curiosity or a concern? Let us know with a few paragraphs, a photo or a video in an email to [email protected] and we will run a selection in the Aug. 31 edition of The Tri-City News.
