Closure of B.C. campgrounds due to 'problem bear' extended through weekend
Multiple campgrounds that were closed in a B.C. park due a food-habituated bear last week will remain closed through the weekend.
In an update this week, BC Parks and the BC Conservation Officer Service said the three campgrounds in Garibaldi Provincial Park that were closed because of reports of a problem bear at Cheakamus Lake will remain shut down.
The closure impacts Cheakamus Lake, Singing Creek and Helm Creek campgrounds, as well as the day-use access to the Cheakamus Lake trailhead.
Initially, officials hoped the park would be able to fully reopen earlier this week, but that closure had to be extended because the bear hasn't been caught.
"Based on the behaviour of the bear, it is believed to be the same bear that was exhibiting food habituation and aggression last year," a statement on the Garibaldi Park website says.
The closure first took effect at 4 p.m. on June 18, with park rangers evacuating visitors from the Cheakamus Lake area by that time.
Now, areas aren't expected to reopen until at least next Wednesday, though officials warn the closure could once again be extended "if the bear is not caught within this closure timeframe."
It's not the first time a provincial park in the Lower Mainland was closed because of a bear recently. Earlier this month, the 62,500-hectare Golden Ears Park was fully closed so conservation officers could search for a "problematic" black bear.
That closure was initially scheduled to last three days, but the park ended up reopening sooner than planned after conservation officers captured and killed the animal.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Asking rent prices up 9.3% across Canada, Ontario sees only decline: report
A new report says the average asking rent for a home in Canada in April was up 9.3 per cent compared with a year ago, while a slight month-over-month increase was also recorded for the first time since January.
Prince William says wife Kate is 'doing well'
Prince William said on Friday his wife Kate was 'doing well' in a rare public comment about the Princess of Wales as she undergoes preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
'I may have some nightmares:' Man survives being bitten by 2 sharks in Bahamas
A man who was bitten by two sharks in the Bahamas said Thursday he's 'thankful that I'm here' while sharing his story of survival.
Ontario coroner to investigate death of man who suffered cardiac arrest while waiting in ER
A provincial coroner will be investigating the death of 68-year-old David Lippert, who suffered a cardiac arrest while waiting in a crowded emergency room in Kitchener, Ont.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
'Irate male' assaulted Newfoundland officers with block of cheese, police say
Police in Newfoundland say patrol officers were assaulted Thursday by a "very irate male" wielding a block of cheese.
Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
Canadian Blood Services apologizes to LGBTQ2S+ community for discriminatory blood donation policy
Canada's longstanding blood donation policy that prevented sexually active men who have sex with men and some trans people from donating blood and plasma was harmful and discriminatory, Canadian Blood Services acknowledged on Friday, in issuing an apology to the LGBTQ2S+ community.