City council is in full support of the return of the spring bear hunt, but wants Sudburians to know that doesn't mean it's open season on nuisance bruins that enter city neighbourhoods.
Meeting Tuesday evening, some councillors were concerned that joining the province's two-year pilot project to allow a limited hunt would lead some in the city to open fire on bears that wander into their backyards.
Ward 12 Coun. Joscelyne Landry-Altmann said last year, she had a problem with a bear wandering up Brebeuf Street. When news of the return of the hunt reaches the public, she's worried people will start shooting when the animals wander into their neighbourhood.
“Does this mean someone on Brebeuf can take a gun and shoot the bear?” Landry-Altmann asked.
What about people who live in more rural areas of the city? she asked. Are there restrictions on how they can respond to bears?
“People who have cottages within the city limits are in the bush,” Landry-Altmann said. “Should (the return of the spring bear hunt) not be complimented with a firearms discharge policy?”
Deputy Police Chief Al Lekun replied that at one time, the city did have a bylaw governing the discharge of a firearm within city limits. However, Lekun said provisions in the Criminal Code of Canada give police the authority necessary to deal with anyone who starts shooting bears in the city.
“Police rely on Criminal Code provisions for the safe use of a firearm,” he said. “A firearm being used in that manner in a residential area would not be the safe use of a firearm.”
“You would not be hunting bears in any urban setting … Police have the ability to deal with that through the Criminal Code – and would do so.”
Ward 3 Coun. Claude Berthiaume, who moved the motion to have Sudbury join the hunt, said he'd prefer the full return of the spring hunt, but said the two-year trial project should reduce the number of problems Sudburians are having with bears. It includes five cities – Sudbury, Timmins, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay – and permits a spring hunt between May 1 and June 15 for the next two years.
With a black bear population of 105,000 in Ontario, Berthiaume said, “They could probably elect an MPP to Queen's Park.”
“This is a step in the right direction. It's not the return of the full spring hunt, but it will reduce the population of nuisance bears.”
There were 379 nuisance bear complaints in 2009, he said, 235 in 2010, and 143 in 2011. But problems at the municipal level got much worse last year when the Ministry of Natural Resources stopped responding to bear calls, forcing local police forces to handle them.
“It had a huge impact on our police force at that time,” he said.
He doesn't think the return of the hunt will lead to bear shootings in the city limits. People are smarter than that, Berthiaume said, and should call police if they fear for their safety.
“It won't be open season on bears wherever you want,” her said. “Citizens will abide by our laws.”
Still, just to be safe, Ward 1 Coun. Joe Cimino said a communications campaign should be launched to be sure everyone understands.
“We need to put the message out that this doesn't give everybody carte blanche to start shooting in the West End or Gatchell if they see a bear,” Cimino said. “I think that could create a lot of anxiety.”
Nuisance bear calls have spiked since the province cancelled the spring bear hunt in 1999. The pilot program is for areas where nuisance bears have become a problem. Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie and North Bay city councils already voted to join the hunt, and Thunder Bay is expected to follow suit. Even with a restored hunt, it would be illegal to shoot cubs or mothers with cubs.
Nova Scotia is now the only province without a spring bear hunt.
