The Lower Mainland Inspector of the BC Conservation Officer Service (COS), the chair of Lions Bay Bear Smart and the Works Manager in his capacity as manager of waste collection and bylaw enforcement met yesterday.
The meeting confirmed that Bear Smart will continue to track bear sightings in the village. Residents should continue to report attractants to bylaw and bear conflicts to COS, as usual. Contact details for all three entities are on www.lionsbaybearsmart.com.
Bear Smart will continue to liaise with bylaw, waste management and COS through our contact in their office, as always.
COS has future plans to establish working groups in Bear Smart communities, including Lions Bay. The meeting confirmed that the single most effective action a community can take to reduce food-conditioned bears is to eliminate access to non-natural food (garbage, food waste, fruit, chickens, hives). Bear Smart will also continue its outreach and education. We thank residents for their efforts to protect the bears and our community. Thank you again to those who’ve reached out to the team expressing support, and sadness at the death of another bear.
As a reminder, curbside waste collection time slots remain in play, as do the drop-off options at the Works Yard from 6 – 8am on Fridays and 8 – 11am on Saturdays.