For video of today's announcement, please click here.
Today Sault MPP and Minister of Natural Resources David Orazietti announced a bear management two-year pilot project to manage nuisance bears and reduce incidents of bear/ human conflict.
"We are not bringing back the spring bear hunt as it was pre 1999," Orazietti said.
This proposal is limited to the wildlife management areas of Northern Ontario including Sault Ste. Marie and Sudury.
The hunt will take place from May 1 to June 15 and the municipalities who are offered the chance to participate in the program will have to pass Council motions to participate and it is only open to Ontario residents, he added.
Among other stipulations, the hunt will include protection for females bears with cubs.
"Challenges have been growing over the last number of years. We want to make sure our children can go outside and play at recess... that someone who want to go for a walk with his or her spouse can do so without fear of being attacked by a bear," said Orazietti. "Our government's number one priority is public safety."
He went on to explain that the trap and relocate program was cancelled because it was shown to be ineffective and the Bearwise program has been effective to prevent more bear/ human encounters but doesn't offer emergency protection.
Sault Ste. Marie Mayor Debbie Amaroso said she is happy will be monitored and evaluated for its effectiveness.
"Congratulations for being responsive to our needs and our safety," she told Orazietti. "I'm sure you will get some resistance from people down south in the Toronto area but, if they want to trap and relocate, my position has always been to trap and relocate them all to downtown Toronto."
Sault Ste. Marie Police Chief Bob Davies said the announcement is welcome news to the police.
He said he's been a very vocal in his position that managing bears is not and should not be police responsibility.
But the reality of the situation is that the number of sightings in past years have been increasing and these are sightings in urban areas, Davies said.
He related the story of police having to shoot a 450 pound bear in the P-Patch on Halloween night a few years ago and said that, although this was an extreme situation calls to police to report close encounters with nuisance bears have been increasing.
"I'm not a bear expert but it seems logical that if you reduce the number of bears you will reduce the number of bears coming into urban areas," he said.
We've worked hand in hand with the ministry to effectively manage bear and human interaction and protect public safety.
Government Committed to Sustainable Bear Management, Public Safety
Ontario is proposing a pilot program that will enhance public safety while offering an effective response to nuisance bear issues in the north.
Ontario has proposed a two-year bear management pilot program in wildlife management units 13, 14, 29, 30, 36, 39, 41 and 42, all of which have reported high levels of nuisance bear activity.
Communities in and around these units include Timmins, Thunder Bay, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie and North Bay.
A limited bear hunt open to Ontario residents only would take place from May 1 to June 15, 2014 and 2015.
Under the proposed pilot, hunting bear cubs or females with cubs would be illegal.
The province will monitor and evaluate the success of this pilot project on an ongoing basis.
In order to participate, municipal councils would have to pass a resolution agreeing to opt into the program.
Ontario will continue to work with municipalities on ways to limit human-bear interactions.
We will work together as One Ontario to build a successful, compassionate and united province where everyone has the opportunity to connect, contribute and enjoy a high quality of life.
Quotes
“Public safety is paramount and Ontarians should feel safe in their communities. We have heard increasingly from some northern Ontario municipalities that they are concerned about public safety and human-bear conflicts. In response, we are taking action in a strategic way to address the areas of highest incidence.”
- David Orazietti, Minister of Natural Resources
“Sault Ste. Marie is remarkable for its natural beauty, a quality that brings residents and visitors in close contact with wildlife of all kinds. City council will continue to encourage residents to take preventive measures. However, this pilot is a new measure we can add to the tools at our disposal to keep people safe from nuisance bears.”
- Debbie Amaroso, Mayor of Sault Ste. Marie
“I believe this pilot project is a step in the right direction when it comes to managing nuisance bears and maintaining public safety. Every support helps, given that police intervention is needed when residents come into contact with dangerous wildlife.”
- Robert D. Davies, Chief of Police for Sault Ste. Marie
“Everyone wants to do their part to keep our children safe. I’m pleased to see the action being taken to protect all residents, particularly school children, from nuisance bears here in Sault Ste. Marie and in other communities in Northern Ontario.”
- Lucia Reece, Director of Education, Algoma District School Board
“We teach children that respect for nature is at the core of our values. However, when it comes to child safety, it is important that we look for ways to balance human-bear interactions over the long term.”
- John Stadnyk, Director of Education, Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board
“As a mayor and a northerner I understand the dangers nuisance bears can cause and the public safety issue they create. I wholeheartedly support this pilot project and I am grateful for the government’s leadership on this important issue.”
- Tom Laughren, Mayor of Timmins
Quick facts
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Ontario is home to a healthy and sustainable black bear population with up to 105,000 black bears living in the province.
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Currently across Canada, each province and territory with black bears has a spring and fall bear hunt except Nova Scotia and Ontario, which only have fall hunts.
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The public will be invited to comment on the two-year pilot project through Ontario’s Environmental Registry in 2014.
Learn more
Learn more about what you can do to keep bears out of your neighbourhood.
Find out who to contact if you encounter a bear.
Learn about black bears in Ontario.
Read about black bear hunting in Ontario.
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