The qathet region has several things in common with places such as Tofino, Whistler and Squamish: easy access to the great outdoors, plenty of mountain biking and hiking trails, and then there are the bears.
Folks living in bear country also have to learn how to live in bear country, in order to mitigate negative human/bear interaction; not only to protect human lives but also the lives of bears.
There are now 12 BC communities that have successfully attained Bear Smart status, including Squamish, Whistler and Tofino. Of course no community is perfect, but the volunteer program at least tries to address the root causes of human/bear conflicts, thereby reducing risks to human safety and private property, as well as the number of bears that have to be destroyed each year, according to the BC provincial government website.
qathet-based artist, conservationist and, at one time, known as the Bear Smart Lady when she worked as a bear safety educator in the Kootenays, Evelyn Kirkaldy believes education is a big part of mitigating bear/human interaction.
"There are six things you need for communities to be designated as Bear Smart," said Kirkaldy. "First, prepare a bear hazard assessment of the community; see where the problem areas are; prepare a bear-human-conflict management plan; revise the planning and do some decision-making; implement a continuing education program [WildSafe BC, for example] directed at all sectors, so not just the residents, but the city, municipality and businesses."
Kirkaldy said number five on the list is to develop and maintain bear-resistant municipal solid waste management, and number six, legislation and implementation of Bear Smart bylaws prohibiting the provision of food to bears.
"If you don't manage your attractants, you can scare bears away all you want, but they'll just go somewhere else," said Kirkaldy. "People [in qathet] should start thinking about getting their yards ready, pruning their fruit trees, and thinking about other attractants that might be around."
Remember the bear who broke into a car at Earls Cove in 2023? Coast Reporter reported that a bear broke into a food-truck owner's car and drank 69 of the 72 cans of pop, leaving behind three diet sodas.
"Do not leave trash, groceries and coolers or anything interesting in a car," said Kirkaldy. "The other thing that people don't think of is citronella. Bears love to smash open rotten logs, because there's ant larvae in there, and ants, and a squashed ant smells like citronella."
Avoidance of bears is one strategy Kirkaldy uses when deciding where to go for a hike.
"I got involved with a lot of bear people, and I started learning stuff, and I started educating myself by going to places such as visiting people like Lynn Rogers down in Minnesota, where there are bears everywhere," said Kirkaldy. "I love being out in the wilderness, and the best thing to overcome fear [of bears] is education.
"There are so many misconceptions and misunderstandings of these magnificent creatures. They're so strong and powerful and wonderful, and an important ecosystem indicator species that provide fish fertilizer for the forest.”
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