The City of Port Coquitlam, B.C., is considering a bylaw that will fine residents who attract bears with unprotected garbage.
The city received a record number of bear calls in 2008 - more than 900 in total. Groups like Bear Aware say the problem stems from residents leaving garbage out at night.
"If you put something out there that's smelly and delicious and rotten and bears love those, the bears are going to come," Bear Aware's Louise Williams said Friday.
Standing on a Port Coquitlam street, Williams quickly located a potential problem spot.
"Tomorrow this area of Port Coquitlam is not a pick up morning, and here we have the bin right at the street with smelly bags of garbage inside," she said.
Now the city is considering a bylaw that could see fines of $100 laid if people leave attractants out overnight.
"The bottom line is community safety. We want people to be able to know you can walk down your street at night and not have that opportunity of bumping into a bear," Williams said.
In 2006, the city considered imposing a $500 fine for leaving garbage out at night, but it was unanimously voted down.
With a report by CTV British Columbia's Maria Weisgarber.
