Tragedy led to bear- smart town
Woman’s death spurred Canmore to manage human- wildlife conflict risks
Heath McCroy and his 15- year old daughter, Lea, are avid trail users around Canmore — but they don’t go out on their own, they carry bear spray and they keep their eyes open for any signs of bears.
“I’m definitely always looking for them, always wondering,” McCroy said in an interview. “She’s the same as me. She’ll still go out on the trails, but ... she won’t go alone on the trails. “She’s not paralyzed with fear.” His wife and Lea’s mom, Isabelle Dube, was jogging with two friends near Silvertip Resort’s golf course on June 5, 2005, when she was attacked by a grizzly bear. She climbed a tree and her two friends ran for help, but she didn’t stand a chance.
A decade later, her death is still palpable throughout the mountain town.
It has, however, also galvanized the community — starting with a concerted effort to manage the risks of human- wildlife conflict by having a website dedicated to bear sightings and ultimately leading to the creation of Bow Valley Wildsmart.
The non- profit organization, which is dedicated to raising awareness and educating people about wildlife, now reaches about 15,000 people annually, up from about 900 in its first year.
“One of the big things that’s really starting to change is the community spirit about living sustainably with wildlife,” said Tyler McClure, education and outreach co- ordinator for Wildsmart.
“People in the Bow Valley particularly seem really cognizant of the issues we face with the cohabitation of humans and wildlife, but more and more people are trying to be proactive in not causing conflicts.”
His predecessor and founding director, Kim Titchener, said the creation of Wildsmart started with Dube’s death.
“I didn’t know Isabelle, but I heard she was an amazing person,” she said, noting there’s a mural in downtown Canmore honouring her memory.
Similarly, Titchener said Wildsmart is part of Dube’s legacy.
“It was the driving force for me. It was the driving force for the community,” she said. “It’s wonderful to see a community take something so tragic and make something great out of it.”
McCroy, who still lives in Canmore with his daughter, said he noticed a change in attitude on the trails ever since his wife’s death.
“There’s definitely a heightened sense of awareness,” he said. “Ever since the accident, you hear people making noise ( to alert bears they are coming). The day after the accident, on the trail, I could hear people yelling, hollering. Everybody started doing that, right afterward.
“The other thing I feel is happening now is that most people I know who are trail users are carrying bear spray.”
McClure said the community has come a long way, but noted there’s still a few ways it can continue to improve.
“We’ve taken some really good steps that we can pat ourselves on the back for, but nonetheless we do still continue to look forward to see the next steps we need to take,” he said.
So, even though there are fewer problems with garbage, there are issues with non- native fruit trees attracting bears. People still invite predators — both bears and cougars — into the townsite by feeding prey such as rabbits and deer.
In addition, officials would like to see more people with their dogs on a leash to avoid encounters with wildlife. “We are never fully going to get rid of conflict with wildlife,” he said, “but we can always be working to reduce conflict.”
McCroy agreed that there’s always going to be some risk.
“Everybody who has lived in the valley since we lost Isabelle feels the same — that there’s a risk out there,” he said.
Yet, he believes the grizzly bear that attacked his wife was unique.
“It was habituated, it was bothered and had already been relocated and tranquillized,” said McCroy. “It was hungry so it had a lot of uniqueness to it, whereas I feel in general that most ... bears around here, if they see you, they scamper away.
“It’s the problem bears that cause more problems.”