'I was freaking out': Bear breaks into Metro Vancouver minivan
A minivan was gnawed, scratched and ripped-apart so badly by a bear, a B.C. mother can't get to the driver's seat to see if it the vehicle will still run.
Somehow the animal got inside the Port Moody family's van, then couldn't get out.
Early Sunday morning, while Leanne Cederberg was staying overnight in Vancouver, she got a call from her son who needed the minivan's fob.
"He said, 'The police are on their way.' I'm like, what?" she told CTV News. "'Yeah, there's a bear in the van.' I'm like, what?"
The bear had set off the alarm, waking up neighbours, and the vehicle remote was needed to silence the honking and let the animal out.
"He was just like matter-of-fact about it. I was freaking out!" Cederberg said.
The bear ripped apart the siding, exposed wires, tore off a sun visor and chewed through just about everything trying to get out.
It also left a stench - the vehicle smells like a garbage dump.
Cederberg called ICBC and the insurer has given her some money to rent another vehicle. They plan to tow away the vehicle in about two weeks.
"They need to do a full assessment to see if they can fix it," she said. "That would be quite impressive."
She figures she must have left the car unlocked, and the bear must have tried the handle.
Her son managed to open the a back sliding door using the fob, and when police arrived and put on their sirens, the bear took off.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Protesters smash windows at McGill University; police use tear gas to disperse crowd
Montreal police deployed tear gas as they dispersed a crowd of protesters participating in a pro-Palestinian demonstration after members of the group smashed windows at McGill University Friday evening.
Biden rejects independent medical evaluation in ABC interview as he fights to stay in race
U.S. President Joe Biden, fighting to save his endangered reelection effort, used a highly anticipated TV interview Friday to repeatedly reject taking an independent medical evaluation that would show voters he is up for serving another term in office while blaming his disastrous debate performance on a 'bad episode' and saying there were 'no indications of any serious condition.'
Canada beat Venezuela on penalties to reach Copa America semifinals
Canada claimed a 4-3 penalty shootout win over Venezuela on Friday to reach the Copa America semifinals for the first time after an absorbing contest finished 1-1.
Owe money for CERB? Here's how the CRA is getting it back
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) may face some hurdles in collecting the money loaned through COVID-19 pandemic relief programs, like the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), according to a tax lawyer.
Stay away from hogweed: What you need to know about these pesky and dangerous plants
Hogweed is harmful to humans and, experts say, the invasive species has become a growing problem in southern Ontario.
N.B. man denied flight due to tear in passport’s seam
What seemed to be a minor passport issue turned into a major problem for a New Brunswick man who was denied a boarding pass from Air Canada.
Earth's core has slowed so much it's moving backward, scientists confirm. Here's what it could mean
Deep inside Earth is a solid metal ball that rotates independently of our spinning planet, like a top whirling around inside a bigger top, shrouded in mystery.
Summer jobs could prove tough to come by for students, according to latest job stats
Statistics Canada’s latest jobs report shows youth unemployment reached a near decade high.
Ottawa woman, 49, wins $70 million, plans to help community
An Ottawa woman, who has survived cancer and has overcome addiction, has won $70 million with Lotto Max.