DATE: September 04, 2026
SUBJECT: Bear Activity in Kitamaat Village
We are aware of the increased bear activity in our community and understands the concerns from community members regarding the safety of children, families, and community members.
At this time, the bears being observed in the community have not exhibited aggressive or dangerous behaviour. However, we recognize that they are becoming far too comfortable within populated areas. With students returning to school next week and more children travelling throughout the community, we understand that there are increasing concerns about bears continuing to remain in the community.
What We Know
Based on current observations, we are aware of at least:
The bears appear to be primarily accessing natural food sources, including fruit trees and berry bushes, rather than being drawn into the community by garbage, fish waste, or other human food sources. While this is positive in the sense that the bears do not appear to be actively seeking human food, it also makes it more difficult to deter them from the community when natural food sources are readily available.
What We Are Doing
We are actively working with the Conservation Officer Service and our internal teams to determine the safest and most appropriate response.
We understand that members may be wondering why the bears cannot simply be trapped and relocated. The Conservation Officers have advised us that trapping and relocating bears is rarely a simple or successful solution. Bears can travel significant distances and may return to the area where they were originally captured, particularly when they are familiar with the area and know where food sources are located.
There are additional concerns when dealing with a mother and cubs. Trapping creates a risk of capturing the wrong bear or separating the cubs from their mother. If the cubs become separated from their mother, their chances of survival are significantly reduced.
For these reasons, any intervention needs to be carefully considered rather than potentially creating a more dangerous situation for either the community or the bears.
We also recognize that the mother and cubs have not demonstrated aggressive behaviour, and we do not want to unnecessarily destroy the bears where other safe and reasonable options may be available. At the same time, the safety of our community remains our priority.
Reducing Natural Attractants
One of the additional measures we are exploring is whether some of the fruit trees, berry bushes, and other natural attractants in high-traffic areas of the community can be removed or better managed. This is being considered as part of a longer-term approach to making populated areas less attractive to bears and encouraging them to remain outside of the community.
What Community Members Can Do
In the meantime, we ask everyone to help reduce the risk of an encounter:
We know that seeing bears regularly within the community can be concerning, particularly with children returning to school. The fact that the bears have not demonstrated aggressive behaviour does not mean that we are ignoring the situation. We are continuing to monitor their behaviour and are working closely with the Conservation Officers and our internal teams to determine the safest response.
Our goal is to protect the safety of community members while also avoiding unnecessary harm to the bears where possible.
We appreciate everyone’s patience, caution, and cooperation.
For any questions or concerns, please reach out to:
Kailee Gardiner, Executive Director of Community Services
KGardiner@haisla.ca or 250-639-5549
Or
Denis Bento, Executive Director of Infrastructure & Facilities
DBento@haisla.ca or 250-279-7079