For Bear Sightings call:  1-877-952-7277

Secure all garbage and be 'Bear Aware' 

Residents are reminded to keep their garbage stored properly, hummingbird & birdseed feeders out of reach of bears, BBQ's kept clean, pets fed indoors and fridges/freezers stored indoors.

Would you like to be a Bear Smart Volunteer?

The Bear Smart Committee is seeking out residents who are interested in joining the Bear Smart Team

as Bear Smart Volunteers.  The Committee has divided the Village into 10 areas and ideally we would like to have one or two volunteers in each area. 

The tasks of the Bear Smart Volunteer would include posting 'Bear Sighting' signs, notifying area residents and liaising with the Village Office regarding bear sighting calls.  If interested in keeping our bears wild in Lions Bay please contact either:

Norma Rodgers at 604-921-8467 or the Village Office at 604-921-9333.

What About Bears?  A Guide to Coexisting with Bears

Published by Metro Vancouver

Living with Bears in Lions Bay - Spring 2008

Composting Tips Brochure - presented at Lions Bay Garden Show - Spring 2008

Bear Smart  in LionsBay - November 2007

The provincial Bear Smart  Community Program, (which is coordinated and funded through the Conservation Officers Service) enlists support from community governments and residents to prevent local human-bear conflicts, encouraging education programs and wildlife friendly waste management practices.

Lions Bay began the process towards becoming a bear smart community in 2000, before knowing about the Provincial Bear Smart  Program.  In the late 1990’s several aggressive bears that were breaking into sheds, outside freezers and homes, were eventually destroyed.  Residents responded to the destruction of garbage-eating bears with a campaign to educate residents about bears, and lobby local government to enact bylaws to reduce attractants and deal with wildlife waste management issues.  By 2003 bear-friendly bylaws were enacted, more information was available to residents about bears, and many public garbage containers were bear-proof.

Lions Bay had already developed an education program for residents, wildlife friendly bylaws and continued to bear-proof public bins, but the Bear Smart  Community Program also requires communities to undertake bear conflict assessments and management plans to qualify for Bear Smart  Community status.  In 2004, Lions Bay began the official process towards becoming a Bear Smart  Community with an application to the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection for funding.  When funding was granted, the Village contracted a Bear Hazard Assessment.   Between 2004 and 2006, Lions Bay received $13,000 in Bear Smart  grants that funded bear reports, more bear-proof public garbage bins, educational materials and more bear alert signs.  

In 2005, a ‘first draft’ Lions Bay Human-Bear Conflict Management Plan was completed combining recommendations from the Bear Hazard Assessment and requirements for a Bear Smart  Community, with local knowledge and experience from bear volunteers.  The Plan was adjusted several times before being approved by Council (Mayor Douglas Miller, Councilors Lisa Turpin, Chris Page, Elizabeth Jordan and Joanne Ronsley).  The ‘final draft’ of Lions Bay Human-Bear Conflict Management Plan resulted from amendments discussed during additional meetings attended by Lori Pilon, Douglas Miller, Lawrence Ruskin and Norma Rodgers. 

Current Council (Mayor Max Wyman, Councillors Linda Heneault, Birgitta von Krosigk, Lisa Turpin and Ken Wolder) have adopted the Bear Smart  Community Program and have established a Bear Smart  Committee.  Initial committee members include Chair and volunteer Norma Rodgers, Councillors Linda Heneault and Birgitta von Krosigk, Village Administrative Assistant Anne Page, and Conservation Officer Chris Doyle.  Members have met three times and determined that a priority is to adjust the ‘final draft’ of Lions Bay’s Bear Management Plan to reflect current agreed upon Bear Smart  policies and practices.  Completing a Bear Management Plan is the final task before Lions Bay is eligible to apply for Bear Smart  Community status. 

It may be surprising that Lions Bay’s Bear Smart  Committee includes a Conservation Officer as a member, since many bear loving residents have historically regarded the CO’s with distrust. For several years now the COS has participated in similar committees with other communities, including Whistler, Squamish, the North Shore and Ucluelet.  A current CO’s focus is working with Bear Smart  communities to educate residents and deal with attractant issues to prevent garbage-conditioned bears.  Lions Bay’s participation in the Bear Smart  Community Program, bear education campaign, waste management practices and village bylaws, all increase our credibility with the COs.  The Bear Smart  Committee will be kept informed about bear management practices including location of traps and translocations if necessary.  Chris Doyle (Lions Bay’s CO) has explained that our bear management practices will reduce the likelihood of bears being destroyed here, because we continue to develop strategies to prevent ‘problem’ bears from returning.  The residents of Lions Bay can feel comfortable that Conservation Officers will work in partnership with the Village to keep our bears natural.

Now in 2007 bears have again become a community problem due to poor attractant control. The COs have for decades used translocation as a bear management technique, but this method has limited success and provides opportunities for other bears to move into the community to eat unsecured garbage.  This recent bear may not be a candidate for translocation considering the level of damage and aggression, but destruction of the bear will be a last resort.