COQUITLAM, B.C., March23, 2026 – As bears wake from hibernation, Coquitlam residents are reminded to secure household attractants to ensure local bears seek only natural food sources. 

Be a Bear Smart Household

As one of 12 official Bear Smart communities in B.C., Coquitlam uses a mix of education and enforcement to raise awareness and make sure everyone is doing their part to keep both bears and humans safe.

With bears waking up from winter denning and spring break approaching, residents are reminded to follow the City’s Bear Smart guidelines:

• Store Garbage Carts, Green Carts and recycling in a garage or fully-enclosed structure inaccessible to wildlife, such as a heavy-duty shed or chain link fence with a roof.
• Green Cart clips are not bear proof and should not be relied on to secure carts outdoors.
• Freeze meat and strong-smelling food scraps until collection day.
• Put all food scraps in the Green Cart, not the Garbage Cart.
• Place carts and recycling at the curb after 5:30 a.m. on collection day.
• Keep your Green Cart and Garbage Cart clean between collection days.
• Keep freezers and refrigerators indoors.
• Keep pet food indoors.
• Suspend bird feeders and clean up fallen seed.
• Limit outdoor composting to yard waste and plant trimmings.
• Keep barbeques clean.
• Keep vehicles free of food, with windows closed and doors locked. 

Learn more about bear safety, City regulations and take the Bear Smart Pledge at coquitlam.ca/BearSmart.

Unsecured Attractants Put Bears and their Cubs at Risk

Unsecured garbage continues to be the most common bear attractant in Coquitlam and poses a serious risk to bears. With a powerful sense of smell, it only takes one household’s garbage to attract a bear into a neighbourhood – and once a bear finds an easy food source, it will return.

Bears will soon be teaching their newborn cubs how to forage for food sources. Making sure they don’t find an easy meal in your neighbourhood will help encourage cubs to forage in natural areas rather than our neighbourhoods and backyards.

Tips to Prevent Human Wildlife Conflict

In addition to securing wildlife attractants on your property, it’s crucial to take steps to prevent human-wildlife interactions in order to keep both yourself and your pets safe. This includes:

• Keeping cats indoors.
• Walking dogs on a short leash.
• Supervising your dog while off-leash in a designated off-leash area.

If you do encounter a wildlife on your property:

• Stop and remain calm. Often wildlife is just passing through and will simply move on if it finds no food source.
• Don’t scream or run.
• Make yourself look big.
• Talk in a low and calm voice while backing away slowly.
• Bring pets and children into the house.

Reporting Wildlife Concerns

To report wildlife attractants, including improper waste storage, call the City at 604-927-3580 or email BylawEnforcement@coquitlam.ca. 

To report a conflict with wildlife that threatens public safety or causes property damage, call the Conservation Officer Service at 1-877-952-7277.

Media contact:
Julie Kanya
Manager Environmental Education and Enforcement 
604-927-3500
UrbanWildlife@coquitlam.ca

We acknowledge with gratitude and respect that the name Coquitlam was derived from the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ (HUN-kuh-MEE-num) word kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (kwee-KWET-lum) meaning “Red Fish Up the River”. The City is honoured to be located on the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm traditional and ancestral lands, including those parts that were historically shared with the q̓ic̓əy̓ (kat-zee), and other Coast Salish Peoples.