The B.C. Conservation Officer Service says multiple bears are fattening up on high calorie food in Port Coquitlam and Coquitlam and it's up to residents to lock down trash and get rid of ripe fruit if they don't want to be visited by bruins.
People must be vigilant not only about their own trash, Robin Sano said, but educate their neighbours, too, so everybody gets on the same page.
"You can't always rely on the city and the conservation office service to help you out. We need to actually take ownership and be pro-active," Sano said.
Still, the cities are trying to keep up with the number of people who are not taking care of their waste and are posing a danger to their neighbourhoods.
Recently, Coquitlam cracked down on people who set their garbage out early, handing out more than two dozen $500 fines.
And in Port Coquitlam, some 2,298 inspections have been conducted and numerous fines dished out to people not locking their trash and green carts.
"In most cases the lock on the bin is not put on properly. It’s either in the wrong place, or it’s too loose. We have been enforcing on the north side for several weeks. The target offence is failure to lock garbage and green waste bins. Since mid-July we have issued 29 tickets at $150 each," stated city spokesperson Ximena Ibacache.
The bins are supposed to be locked, even when they are empty or near empty except on collection day.
Ibacache said approximately 7,500 homes close to green belts got new locks to keep bears out and the city put out a video on how to install the locks properly.
Unfortunately, the message doesn't seem to be getting out.
Sano said unlocked garbage is a big problem in both Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam, especially around the PoCo and Coquitlam border near where a 10-year-old girl was attacked on Aug. 20.
And on Aug. 26, a mom and her four-year-old son were charged by a bear in their yard, only a few blocks away.
"That whole area is really bad for unsecured garbage," Sano said.
