Changes to Coquitlam’s garbage collection schedule and an extensive outreach and enforcement campaign are being credited with reducing the amount of animal attractants being left on private property — and that has resulted in a drop in the number of fines handed out.
So far in 2018, only 2,202 violation notices have been sent to residents for unsecured garbage, a 53% decrease from the 4,703 handed out during the same period last year.
“We are very encouraged by this and believe the improvement is likely related to a variety of factors,” said Steffanie Warriner, Coquitlam’s manager of environmental services division, noting the use of stepped up enforcement, education and outreach, and a newly designed violation sticker for bins with garbage brought to the curb before collection time.
She said she has seen “a notable and widespread increase in awareness among Coquitlam residents.”
A new curbside collection schedule, where residents in eight bear-prone areas have their garbage picked up between 7:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., has also reduced the quantity of animal attractants left out at the curb for long periods of time.
As part of the initiative, Burke Mountain, Westwood Plateau, Eagle Ridge, Ranch Park and Chineside have their garbage picked up between early while the rest of the city has its garbage picked up between 1 and 7 p.m. on collection day.
According to a staff report, the number of calls about bears in garbage on collection day is currently 50% below the average number from the same time last year.
But some residents are still not getting the bear aware message. So far this year, 2,125 warnings have been issued along with 77 fines, mainly to people with garbage left out at the curb ahead of their designated collection time. Fines are $500 but if first-time offenders pay early, that is reduced to $250.
Across the Tri-Cities, there have been close to 745 calls to WildSafeBC’s Wildlife Alert Reporting Program since the beginning of the year. In the last week, there have been 70 calls to the line. In more than 200 reported cases, the caller was able to confirm that the bear was attracted to garbage in their area.
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