On Wednesday evening, the Nelson Police Department received a call from a resident in the Fairview neighbourhood around 8 p.m. due to a bear rummaging in some residential garbage that had been left out.
In a written statement from the Nelson Police Department, Sgt. Corey Hoy wrote a reminder to the public: “This is the time for bears to be looking for food and to ensure that garbage, compost and waste products are disposed of in a secure manner to avoid any possible confrontations with wildlife.”
Residents who regularly have garbage pick up on Monday can expect it to be picked up the day after the statutory holiday (Tuesday, Sept. 8) between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. The City of Nelson has garbage odour control tips and storage advice at nelson.ca.
Fruit trees and vegetable gardens can be a temptation too. The Nelson Food Cupboard can help with Harvest Rescue, a free fresh produce gleaning program which has trained volunteers who harvest backyard gardens in the Nelson area. The donor, volunteer picker and the Nelson Food Cupboard each receive a third of the harvest. For more information contact Emily Mask, the Harvest Rescue Coordinator, at harvestrescue@gmail.com or visit foodcupboard.org.
For information on how to reduce human-wildlife conflict, visit wildsafebc.com.
If you see a bear in your area, please contact the Nelson Police Department at 250-354-3919 or the RAPP Hotline at 1-877-952-7277 or online at www.rapp.bc.ca.
