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Blueridge forum aims to cut number of black bears killed

Any Blueridge resident interested in learning the bear necessities is invited to a forum this Monday at Parkgate Community Centre.
bear eating

Any Blueridge resident interested in learning the bear necessities is invited to a forum this Monday at Parkgate Community Centre.

“In Blueridge … there were too many bears killed last year,” said Christine Miller with the North Shore Black Bear Society.

Seven North Shore bears were killed last year, four of them in the Blueridge area, according to Miller.

In one case, a mother and her yearling were tranquilized and shot by a conservation officer after the pair became “food conditioned” and lost their fear of humans, according to conservation officer Insp. Murray Smith, who spoke to the North Shore News in 2016.

Smith, along with fellow conservation officer Chris Doyle and wildlife conflicts manager Mike Badry are slated to attend the forum.

“I can only believe that conservation officers do not enjoy shooting wildlife,” Miller said. “We have to work to prevent that from happening.”

There used to be a “huge disconnect” between residents and conservation officers, according to Miller.

“There was no communication between them, a lot of angry people and misunderstood actions,” she said.

Part of the reason for the forum – which offers attendees the opportunity to ask questions and voice concerns – is to open the lines of communication, according to Miller.

The bear killings have been very distressing to the neighbourhood, Miller noted.

“Blueridge people were really upset because a lot of them are doing all the right things,” she said, discussing the importance of freezing compost and removing attractants like bird feeders.

Miller said she’s uncertain why the problem seems acute in Blueridge.

“This is natural bear habitat and it’s full of hikers and mountain bikers and dog walkers and we all enjoy it … but I think we’re displacing the bears,” she theorized.

The meeting is scheduled for Monday at 6 p.m. at Parkgate Community Centre.

The forum was organized by North Vancouver-Seymour MLA Jane Thornthwaite. Holding the meeting in spring was a strategic decision, said Miller, as conservation officers tend to get busy in summer.

Miller is also involved with B.C. Bear Day, a family-friendly bear education event scheduled for Capilano University April 1.