Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Grizzly bear sighted in Squamish

By Claire Piech Squamish resident Brett Glaysher was surprised when he woke up yesterday morning to find a grizzly bear in his neighbour’s yard.

By Claire Piech

Squamish resident Brett Glaysher was surprised when he woke up yesterday morning to find a grizzly bear in his neighbour’s yard.

“It was early in the morning, and I saw the bear across the road, and I thought, ‘That doesn’t look like a black bear.’ So I ran inside, and I got my camera,” said Glaysher, whose photograph confirms the bear as a mature male grizzly.

The bear was originally sighted in the Squamish town centre near 5 th Avenue, and later at 4 th Avenue and Pemberton Avenue, before disappearing into the Squamish Estuary.

Glaysher said the grizzly didn’t seem to be bothering anyone.

“From what I saw, it was just sitting in the neighbour’s yard eating garbage,” he said.

This is the first time anyone can remember a grizzly venturing into the Squamish town centre.

Police and conservation experts are currently working together to trap and relocate the bear to a more appropriate location. If the grizzly cannot be trapped and starts to become aggressive, it may have to be destroyed.

“We are warning the public and local schools to take the same precautions as after a black bear sighting,” advised Conservation Officer Chris Doyle. He stressed the importance of people storing their garbage properly to prevent luring wild animals from their natural habitats into areas inhabited by people.

To report a bear sighting where public safety is at risk, call the Conservation Officer Service at 1-877-952-7277.