In regards to the bear “problem” in Nelson: As I recall from growing up in Nelson, there have always been bears and it’s never really been an issue until the last few years. This leads me to believe that something has changed.
Are people not picking the fruit from their trees? I don’t see why that would be the issue as that’s always been the case.
I have noticed a correlation with the sharp increase in bear activity and the change from weekly to bi-weekly garbage pick up, and yet I never see this addressed as a possible cause. Bears have very sensitive noses and garbage rotting (even in bear proof containers) lures them into our neighborhoods.
Some might say that it’s only a five-minute trip to take your garbage to the dump and this is probably true. Unless, like myself, one chooses to live without a vehicle.
I realize that moving back to a weekly garbage pick-up would affect the city’s bottom line, but that just raises the question of which is more important: The bottom line, or the safety of our citizens and the and the wild animals that live in the surrounding area?
Just a thought.
Jason Brown
Nelson