Spring is upon us and the bruins are waking up from months of hibernation.
Of course they’re hungry and searching for good eats, so now is the time for locals to stay vigilant in managing refuse.
“As bears emerge, they will be seeking out fresh grasses and sedges [flowering plants] to feed on as well as winter-killed animals,” WildSafeBC advises. “Do not let garbage draw them into your community.”
Trash is the most reported attractant involved in human-bear conflicts, and as the saying goes, “a fed bear is a dead bear.”
To avoid luring in a bear and putting the community at-risk, WildSafeBC is offering some simple tips for managing household attractants.
Keep garbage, recyclables and other attractants secure, indoors is best.
Wash out containers that store garbage and recycling so they are clean and odour-free.
Freeze smelly items until the morning of collection or until you can transport it to a solid waste landfill.
Besides creating a big mess and increasing the risk of human-bear conflict, trash that has been scattered by bears can also pose a serious health risk to the community and the contractors responsible for collecting the garbage.
The city reminds all residents to store their garbage in a secure place until the morning of their scheduled pick up day. Collection days are noted on the municipal website, trail.ca/GarbageAndRecycling. Or, simply type “garbage collection” into the search bar.
Refuse must be securely bagged, including all items in garbage cans. Collectors will not pick up garbage that is not bagged.
Lastly, the municipality has brought out two communal bear-proof bins for Trail residents who don’t have access to a secure area for trash before their scheduled day of garbage collection.
This is an additional service to curbside garbage pickup; therefore, users are asked to make a $5 per bag payment in the secure money collection box located on the front of the bins.
A bear-proof receptacle is located in West Trail near the bocce pits and one is at the entrance of the public works yard in Glenmerry.
This service is run by the local nonprofit Natural Control Alternatives Society (NCA) and the City of Trail.
NCA and the municipality remind residents to use the bins responsibly by securely pinning the bins after use.
Direct any garbage collection questions to public works at 250.364.0840 or email publicworks@trail.ca.
Read more: Northern Lights releases Trail bear into the wild
Read more: Grizzly released outside of Trail (VIDEO)
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