Dry weather, moderate droughts sweeping parts of Canada
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CTV News
7 hours ago
- CTV News
Number of bear warnings, closures in Alberta's Kananaskis Country rises due to bumper berry crop
A sign warning of a bear in the area is shown in Squamish, B.C., Friday, Nov. 4, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Amy Smart According to Alberta Parks, the number of bear warnings and area closures in popular parts of Kananaskis Country is now at 17, an increase of three in a single day. A statement from the Ministry of Forestry and Parks says, 'The prime time for bear activity is from May until October. In July and August, bears are focused on eating as many buffalo berries as they can. This year's crop is much more abundant than it has been over the past several years.' Derek Ryder, a wildlife ambassador with Bow Valley WildSmart, says the berry bushes are found in abundance along the trails. 'It's an edge-loving plant,' he said. 'It lives on the edge of trails, on the edge of day-use areas, on the edge of campgrounds, on the edge of roads — on the edge of everything. And that's exactly where the bears are. It is also exactly where the people are.' One of the areas under a bear warning is in Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park, which is in Kananaskis Country. A warning has been in place there since June 26, but Ryder says bear sightings and encounters have been especially active in the past week. 'We've had multiple bluff charges in the last couple of days. There's been half a dozen or more bear spray deployments in Kananaskis Country this week,' he said. 'It's bear after bear after bear. They're all over the place. Black bears and grizzly bears.' Ryder says the bumper berry crop is largely due to weather. 'We had a great amount of rain, but we also had warmth at the right time. And there's also a bit of cyclicality to berry growth — and it just is one of those years. Perfect storm.' Around this time of year, bears will eat about 200,000 berries a day. Due to the increased activity, Ryder and his team have been deployed to the Canmore Nordic Centre to educate people using the trails. Pam Ellenberger, from Edmonton, and her cousin Josy Clarke, visiting from England, are hiking the Grassi Lakes Trail, which currently has a bear warning in place. They stopped by Ryder's booth to learn more. 'This is really important, especially for tourists who don't live here or are knowledgeable. This is very important — that they are aware of what the risks are,' said Ellenberger. Alberta Parks advises people to do the following when on trails: Make noise Travel in groups Be aware of surroundings Watch for signs of bear activity Keep pets on a leash Carry bear spray — and ensure it's easily accessible These are the precautions Howard Mah and his wife say they will now take every time they visit the backcountry, after a frightening grizzly bear encounter in July in Kananaskis Country. 'It was quite frightening and traumatizing, to be honest.' Mah says the bear followed them for a while and lunged at them a couple of times before eventually leaving the trail after he made loud noises. 'You know, my life did kind of flash before my eyes. And I'm thinking, you know, what do I do if he charges?' Ryder says that if people do encounter a bear, they should stop, talk to the bear in a loud voice, and move slowly — not run. 'That creates what's called the pursuit reflex. And because you ran, you're going to get chased. Because that's what prey does.' The Forestry and Parks ministry says it is always looking for new and innovative ways to improve human-wildlife coexistence, including through aversive conditioning — a strategy used since 2000. In a statement, the ministry said: 'Aversive conditioning uses humane techniques like noise, approach and projectiles to reduce human-bear conflicts by teaching bears to be wary of humans and avoid facilities.'
CBC
7 hours ago
- CBC
Heat warnings issued for large sections of southern B.C.
Social Sharing Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued heat warnings for large portions of southwest B.C. as wildfire fighters expect challenging conditions to begin Sunday. The heat warnings cover the inland and eastern sections of Vancouver Island, as well as the Howe Sound, Whistler and Pemberton areas in the Sea-to-Sky region and the Fraser Canyon and South Thompson areas in the southern Interior. Forecasters expect temperatures to stay elevated beyond 35 C in the latter two regions on Sunday and Monday, with the sections on the South Coast expected to see maximum temperatures exceeding 30 C. The warm and drying trend could intensify wildfire activity, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service, with the Wesley Ridge wildfire on Vancouver Island in an area covered by a heat warning. On Saturday, officials said that fire activity overnight on the out-of-control blaze was minimal, but there could be increased smoke in the region as weather conditions shift and become hotter. "As temperatures continue to rise through the weekend, we can expect to see more smoke in the area as the fire finds unburned fuels to consume," said fire information officer Madison Dahl in a Saturday morning news conference. Environment Canada is advising anyone under a heat warning to take precautions, and check in on vulnerable neighbours who may need assistance. Dahl says the Wesley Ridge fire is currently burning over an area of 580 hectares on the north shore of Cameron Lake, approximately 50 kilometres northwest of Nanaimo. Hundreds of people have been out of their homes for over a week due to the blaze, which is suspected to have been caused by human activity. While it isn't affecting Highway 4, the main east-west route on Vancouver Island, drivers have been asked to not stop along the route to take pictures of the fire. Dahl said firefighters largely observed that most of the fire was smouldering with no open flame, within the perimeter established by crews. "Crews and structure protection staff continue to patrol and fully extinguish remaining areas of heat and smoke near properties and infrastructure in the Little Qualicum River Village and Park area," the officer said. Most evacuation orders could be lifted Just under 300 properties are on evacuation order due to the blaze on Vancouver Island, which means residents have been told to leave immediately. The evacuation order also covers Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park. A further 353 addresses are on evacuation alert, which means residents are expected to be ready to leave at a moment's notice. Some of the residents under evacuation orders could be returning home on Monday, according to the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN), who said the evacuation order could be downgraded for properties south of Warn Way. "It's approximately 39 or so properties [that] would remain on order," said Lisa Grant, the RDN's emergency operations director, in the news conference. "The remainder we are hoping to open up for a return." Grant said, however, that conditions could change quickly, and residents would be notified if the evacuation orders are downgraded on Monday.
CTV News
8 hours ago
- CTV News
Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador declares regional state of emergency
Watch Newfoundland and Labrador Premier John Hogan declared a regional state of emergency as strong winds in the forecast could amplify the already active wildfires.
