Coquitlam is home to bears, coyotes and other urban wildlife. These animals will often enter our neighbourhoods and yards looking for food or shelter. It is important that we avoid inviting wildlife to our properties by removing attractants, such as garbage, pet food, fruit and making others inaccessible, such as bird feeders.
"Bear Smart" Guidelines
- Store Garbage Carts, Green Carts and recycling bins in an area inaccessible to wildlife.
- Freeze meat and strong smelling food scraps, and transfer to the Green Cart on collection day.
- Put all food waste in the Green Cart and not the Garbage Cart.
- Place Carts and recycling at the curbside after 5:30 a.m. on collection day.
- Keep your Green Cart and Garbage Cart clean between collection days.
- Store refrigerators and freezers inside.
- Keep pet food inside.
- Pick fruit as soon as it is ripe.
- Suspend bird feeders and clean up fallen bird seed.
- Practice responsible backyard composting.
- Keep barbeques clean.
- Take extra garbage to the Coquitlam Recycling and Waste Centre (fees will be applied).
- Install a wildlife resistant enclosure.
Violations and Fines
Residents can be fined up to $500 for not managing their attractants correctly. It is every resident’s responsibility to make sure their waste does not attract wildlife as outlined in our Solid Waste Management Bylaw and Wildlife and Vector Control Bylaw.
In addition, feeding wildlife is illegal in British Columbia under section 33.1 and 88.1 of the Wildlife Protection Act.
Report a Concern
Report a wildlife concern using the following methods:
- To report wildlife attractants, improper storage of attractants or wildlife accessing attractants, call the City at 604-927-3660.
- To report wildlife that is aggressive or causing property damage, call the Conservation Officer Service at 1-877-952-7277.
The City of Coquitlam is a Bear Smart Community
In February 2017 the City of Coquitlam was formally recognized through the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy as a Bear Smart community.
The Bear Smart Community program is a voluntary, preventative conservation measure that encourages communities, businesses and individuals to work together. The goal is to address the root causes of human-bear conflicts, thereby reducing the risks to human safety and private property, as well as the number of bears that have to be destroyed each year.
This program is based on a series of criteria that communities must achieve in order to be recognized as being "Bear Smart." Learn more about the Bear Smart Community Program here.
Become a "Bear Smart" Household - Take the Pledge
You can promise to follow Coquitlam’s "Bear Smart" Guidelines and complete our online pledge to become a "Bear Smart Household." The City will mail you a Bear Smart sticker that you can display to show your community that you are a proud Bear Smart Household!
Take the "Bear Smart" Pledge.
Educational Videos