NIPIGON — Nuisance bears have been a common sight as summer winds down this year, according to two people living along the North Shore.
Nipigon mayor Suzanne Kukko said she’s been living in the community for just shy of 20 years now, and “it is probably the worst season in memory.”
On Sept. 16, two people in Nipigon were attacked in their home and injured by a black bear before their dog cornered the animal in the basement, Ontario Provincial Police said.
Kukko said she’s heard many reports from people encountering bears around town and in other regional communities. Additionally, she said the Ministry of Natural Resources has told her its BearWise program received two calls in August and 18 calls up to about the middle of September, just in Nipigon alone.
Kukko said ministry officials told her they’ve received over 300 calls throughout the district.
“It’s been pretty scary for our community for sure in Nipigon and, from what I’m hearing, all along the North Shore,” she said.
Kukko said she’s had one marauding bear go after her garbage in her car port when she forgot to put it away. And while a number of reported encounters have been similar in nature, others have been more destructive.
“Mostly it’s those kinds of things, (bears) getting into garbage, looking for food, but there have been some incidents where — normally the bears will be coming out at dusk and at dawn or overnight — but there have been sightings in the afternoon, during the day … which is unusual,” she said.
“And, actually, some trying to get into porches, screen doors, things like that, which definitely indicates an aggressive and very hungry bear.”
People living and working in the middle of Lake Superior aren’t immune either.
Paul Morralee, the managing director of the Canadian Lighthouses of Lake Superior not-for-profit, said a pair of black bears have been a constant presence for the past couple of weeks at the Porphyry Lighthouse, which is located on an island south of Black Bay.
The animals are more than capable of swimming out to the relatively remote location, likely drawn to the spot as berries tend to ripen later in the season out there, he said. One encounter saw one of the animals drawn to the door at breakfast.
“As my assistant Andrew Ehn was at the light station cooking sausages, the smell attracted a bear who entered through the screen in the door and who then stood up on the veranda looking through the double pane glass at us having sausages in the morning,” Morralee said.
“So, it was quite the start to the day.”
Morralee said they can become quite a distraction.
“It’s quite destructive when you’re working and living in a house to have a bear claw your front door because you’re worried about your front door being caved in by the bear and coming into the house because who knows what could happen,” he said. “So, the fear factor of living at a light station, surrounded by two bears that are hungry and that can smell that sausage and bacon in the morning, and the eggs.”
“There’s literally claw marks on the door of the light station and … three or four screens broken out, basement windows broken.”
Back in Nipigon, Kukko said the municipality is helping to share information from relevant officials, like the OPP and the Ministry of Natural Resources’ BearWise program, and amplifying messaging around keeping garbage secure, not having things like dog food accessible, being aware and alert when outside, especially around dawn and dusk, and to never run from a bear.
“I know it’s scary when something like this happens, with the attack that occurred,” Kukko said, referring to the bear that injured the two people in Nipigon, adding that she’s encouraging people to be aware.
“They want to eat lots of food and they don’t want to be chasing and running after people and things like that,” she said. “But I mean, some of them do, some of them are angry or so desperate, for whatever reason they’re starving, and so just to try not to be terrified when you’re walking out and about.”
“Just to have that in the back of your mind, to make sure that you’re cautious.”
