Bear Alert!

There have been several reports of a large black bear passing through the neighbourhoods, and in some cases getting into compost and garbage.

Chris Michell from Water Street sent along this photo -- seems the bear did quite a number on their compost bin! And don't worry, the bear was gone by the time the toddler appeared :-D

Kecia Turunen also reported that a large bear was hanging around the upper subdivision, and word has it there's also a smaller bear making the rounds.

Bottom line, watch out for bears! Make noise and get into the habit of scanning the area when outside. Bears are most active around dawn and dusk.

Bears passing through is expected, but here are some tips to ensure they keep moving to more natural food sources:

1. Keep garbage inside (and pet food, etc)
2. Maintain compost bins. Avoid adding cooked foods, bread, fruit, and cereal. It's also good practice to sprinkle regularly with garden lime to speed up the composting process and to reduce odour. 
3. Put away the bird feeders

From Photo by Peter Sulzle, used with permission http://petersulzle.zenfolio.com/

Thanks for the reports!