Man issued $230 ticket for attracting bear to Squamish campsite

staff report

June 13, 2020 9:50am

Conservation Officer Service (COS) issued a $230 ticket to a man for flouting the Wildlife Act after a bear tore through his tent to access unsecured food.

The man was camping at the Squamish Riverside Recreation Site on the Squamish Forest Service Road in Squamish Valley. The man was evicted, and the campsite was closed down.

The site is managed by Recreational Sites and Trails. COS would soon have a discussion on when to open the site, said Simon Gravel, a COS officer for the Sea to Sky zone.

Gravel said people should avoid the area, and people camping at other sites should keep their food secure. “Please don’t leave food in the tent or outside the tent. It can become very hazardous and difficult to manage,” he said.

Gravel said this was a recurring problem at the campsite from where the man was evicted.

“We have seen the same situation before, and it has been closed before for the same offence,” he said.

Gravel said COS would discuss making some improvements to the site.