Calls to install wildlife-proof garbage bins in Stanley Park
West End resident Kam Li was enjoying the serene trails of Stanley Park when something stopped her in her tracks: a garbage bin filled to its brim.
“I found it was outrageous,” Li said. “I could see juice bottles and food packages. I was also very amazed that the bins were not replaced with animal-proof bins.”
As part of a pilot program, seven wildlife-proof bins were added to the Lost Lagoon and Prospect Point picnic areas two weeks ago.
But Li was baffled by the fact that the majority of trash bins were not changed.
“I don’t know why they are doing a pilot because it’s been more than 10 months that we know about the coyote attacks,” she said. “If they can have money to rent the fences to surround the park, I don’t know why they don’t spend the money more efficiently.”
The fences were erected during a two-week cull in which four coyotes were killed earlier this month.
Since December, 45 people have been attacked and consequently, a total of 11 coyotes have been destroyed.
Li fears those numbers will go higher unless immediate action is taken.
“The (regular) trashcans are easily accessible by coyotes, so I feel instantly unsafe,” she said.
Experts agree that wildlife and human food do not mix.
“It happens quite quickly when animals learn to associate people with food they become very aggressive,” said Colleen Cassidy St. Clair, a professor of biological sciences at the University of Alberta.
“We've shown with some studies in my lab, that the microbiome changes, the gut bacteria of coyotes changes, when they're eating human-sourced food, and some of the changes that occur in these coyotes are similar to changes that have been noted in dogs that cause more aggressive behaviours,” she explained.
Li said that’s exactly why more needs to be done to prevent coyotes from getting into human trash.
The Park Board did not answer questions about how long the pilot will last and what the next steps are.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Fewer medical students going into family medicine contributing to doctor shortage
As some family doctors are retiring and others are moving away from family medicine, there are fewer medical students to take their place.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Competition bureau finds 'substantial' anti-competitive effects with proposed Bunge-Viterra merger
The proposed merger of agricultural giants Viterra and Bunge is raising competition concerns from the federal government.
Douglas DC-4 plane with 2 people on board crashes into river outside Fairbanks, Alaska
A Douglas C-54 Skymaster airplane crashed into the Tanana River near Fairbanks on Tuesday, Alaska State Troopers said.