A group dedicated to improving conditions for wildlife and residents in the Rocky View County (RVC) community of Bragg Creek presented a plan that could alleviate some of the human-to-wildlife conflict in the area.
The group, Bragg Creek Wild (BCW), proposed that the County draft and adopt a new bylaw that would refocus how the community handles the disposal and storage of residential garbage.
BCW presented their plan to the County’s Public Presentations Committee (PPC) on July 17. In their presentation, BCW representatives called for a stricter bylaw surrounding garbage handling and presented some of the benefits of such a bylaw.
Lucy Curtis, a member of BCW who spoke to the PPC on behalf of the organization, told committee members that garbage bylaws could enhance public safety, create wildlife protections as well as an overall cleaner environment, create community cohesion by encouraging responsible waste management and foster a sense of community responsibility.
Curtis also argued that garbage bylaws could provide some economic benefit by lowering the cost of wildlife management and waste cleanup, as well as supporting sustainability.
To support her argument, Curtis provided video and photo evidence of bears rummaging through residential garbage bins, and articles from the Cochrane Eagle and other media sources showing a community dealing with the influx of wildlife which has been attracted by garbage bins– both sealed and unsealed.
“We are leaving candy out and asking the bear to ignore it,” stated Curtis. “We are actively inviting them in [to the community].”
Curtis said that Bragg Creek has been called a “bait and wait” community on account of their outdoor garbage bins.
According to BCW's presentation, twelve dogs were killed in suspected cougar attacks in the Bragg Creek area in 2023. Cougars, as well as bears, have become instinctively familiar with the "bait and wait" nature of the Bragg Creek area, BWC argued.
In the presentation, Curtis claimed that several west RVC communities already have similar garbage bylaws to what BCW is suggesting. Redwood Meadows, Cochrane, Banff, and Canmore are all “BearSmart communities," a designation that allows for communities to get additional access to Fish and Wildlife resources and educational tools.
“BearSmart brings a lot of benefits,” said Curtis. “Firstly, we get to increase our access to Fish and Wildlife resources, both informational and material. Being part of BearSmart is a signal that our community [is] taking care to make [residents] feel safe.”
Renee Delorme, the founder of BCW, added there is a groundswell of support within the Bragg Creek community for a garbage bylaw, and for the hamlet to become a part of the BearSmart network.
“We have an opportunity to help the lives and safety of the residents of Bragg Creek,” she said. “We don’t want to be known as the community that allows garbage to be out.”
Delorme added that the residents of Bragg Creek are not irresponsible with their garbage. In the videos and photos of bears breaking in and raiding garbage bins, the bins themselves are neatly put away or stored in outdoor sheds, but bears got into them anyway. Delorme also argued that the community could benefit from further education when it comes to garbage storage.
County administration officials said that a Bragg Creek area-specific bylaw could be crafted to address the garbage bin issue, but that councillors would have to agree to hear the issue again at a regular meeting of council in order to enact such a bylaw.
The committee then voted unanimously to direct administration to explore a potential garbage bylaw. The debate surrounding such a bylaw will most likely be heard at a September meeting of RVC council.