This weekend promises to be another busy, hectic statutory holiday event in the Bow Valley, as the unofficial end to summer, and we can only hope everyone keeps in mind it is still bear season.
Bears, as much as the wildlife managers who deal with them constantly, are likely looking forward to the last few weeks of gorging on berries and other edibles prior to the snow falling.
If nothing else, the winter months, with bears safely ensconced in their dens and out of the public eye, may provide a time for some sober second thought on what it means to live with bruins and our other wildlife.
Bear issues seem to be never-ending this summer, due to the fact that bears do what they do, wherever they do it in our valley, like wild animals will. More than bears, though, it’s been the human element of valley life which has created problems and negative interactions.
This winter, then, would be the ideal time, as Canmore Mayor John Borrowman has suggested, to get many stakeholders together in an effort to form some kind of cohesive philosophy on sharing our space with bears in the Canmore area.
The problem, of course, is that while wildlife managers, Town administration and staff and possibly mountain biking, hiking and environmental groups may be relied on to take part and offer some valuable input, there is no legislating against the attitude of self-entitlement that keeps people ducking under tape in bear closure areas.
The real problem is that there are still those who ignore bear closure tape, or remove or damage closure signage.
It’s hard to imagine any way to counter the self entitled state of mind of those who enter closed areas other than greater enforcement and, likely, much greater fines for those who do.
Charges of entering closed areas have been laid and more investigations are under way; which suggests that far too many people still feel entitled to ignore closures in pursuit of their own interests.
This is why we believe more funding to increase the number of provincial wildlife managers needs to be a key issue in any talks regarding living with wildlife.
Like those who feel compelled to flaunt traffic laws and speed on our roads, those who would ignore closures clearly require some kind of clearcut negative outcome for their actions.
After all, can you imagine the racetrack the Trans-Canada Highway would be without at least some threat of being pulled over and ticketed?
Back to school
Just a friendly reminder that Bow Valley schools are back in action and extra caution must be taken in school zones and in neighbourhoods near schools.
With students excited to be back in school, meeting new friends or old classmates, and thinking about what a new year brings in the classroom, their focus may not be on their own safety – walking, riding bikes and busing back and forth from home.
As well, school buses will be back on our roads and safety rules must be followed when they stop to pick up and drop off children.
At the start of the season in particular, drivers must be aware of the fact that youngsters all over the valley are heading back to their schools. School zones that may be forgotten will now be back in effect.
