The BC Conservation Officer Service is calling this week "peak week" because it's when the organization typically gets the most bear complaints.
Bears are out in greenbelts and Tri-City neighbourhoods looking for food to fatten up for the winter, and everyone's home is a target if they have not secured their garbage or have left fruit on trees or bird seed that bears like to eat.
Leaving out these attractants could cost Coquitlam residents a $500 fine, according to Steffanie Warriner, manager of environmental services.
“Right now, these first few weeks of September are known to be the peak for bear activity. Bears are foraging right now for food, they are fattening up and they’re getting ready to hibernate," she said. "This is a very critical time and we need everybody to do their part so that we’re not attracting bears into Coquitlam’s neighbourhoods.”
To see an updated map of bear complaints and what caused them, visit wildsafebc.com/warp.