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Problem bear euthanized

It was déjà vu all over again for the Whistler RCMP and local conservation officers after answering a report of a treed bear behind the Whistler Health Care Centre on Nov. 17 at around 10:30 a.m.

It was déjà vu all over again for the Whistler RCMP and local conservation officers after answering a report of a treed bear behind the Whistler Health Care Centre on Nov. 17 at around 10:30 a.m.

According to the RCMP, it was the same bear that was darted and relocated more than a month ago from the same location - the same tree in fact, only this time the young male had climbed higher.

As before, police and the Conservation Officer gathered boxes from the Liquor Store to cushion the fall after the bear was tranquilized. However, this time the bear didn't drop to the ground but managed to get stuck in the branches of the tree. At that point the concern was that the bear would wake up groggy, and fall to the ground.

According to Sergeant Shaun LeMay, the RCMP looked at a few options and called in a municipal bucket truck to try and get the bear down. However, when it became clear that the bucket couldn't get close enough they called in the Whistler Fire Rescue Services. A member of the fire department tied a knot around the bear's ankle and he was lowered to a tarp underneath the tree so it could be transported out of town.

While that part of the story was a success, the bear turned up again pm the weekend and was darted again on Sunday - the third time in three weeks, including another incident. The Conservation Officer, nothing that the bear was losign weight between captures and likely woudnl't survive the winter, made the tough cal to euthanize the animal with an injection.

The body was then placed in the woods.

 

Calgary man arrested on a warrant

Just after 3:40 p.m. on Nov. 19 the Whistler RCMP received notice that a 26-year-old male wanted by the police in Calgary might be in town. The suspect was spotted at 10:20 that evening by a plainclothes officer at a local pub. The officer observed the male until more officers arrived and then arrested the man.

The man will be sent back to Calgary to face charges related to "multiple serious offences," including assault with a weapon, possession of a weapon and fraud.

While the RCMP were arresting the individual, another person in the pub intervened. He was told to back off, but then attempted to intervene again, at which point the 22-year-old male from Whistler was recognized by officers. The same male had been previously arrested for assaulting a police officer and was in violation of a condition not to consume alcohol. The male was arrested as drunk in public and released on a promise to appear.

 

Wallet thief arrested

At 2:07 a.m. on Nov. 16 a police patrol in the village received a report that bouncers were holding a thief at a local nightclub. They attended and arrested a 22-year-old male who was found in possession of several wallets.

He was taken into custody, fingerprinted and released with a promise to appear on a charge of theft under $5,000. It's unknown how many wallets he had taken, or whether all of the rightful owners were still in the establishment.

 

Snowblower taken from day lot

The RCMP are investigating after a Caterpillar snowblower worth an estimated $10,000 was taken from Day Lot 5 sometime in the last few weeks. The owner discovered the theft on Nov. 17.

The snowblower was black with yellow markings, and was last seen three weeks ago by an employee of the owner.

 

Three bikes stolen from Alpine house

On Nov. 17 the RCMP received a report that a Jamis mountain bike worth $1,300 was stolen from an outdoor storage area on the 8600 block of Forest Ridge Drive in Alpine Meadows. It was last seen on Nov. 15.

Police were called again the next day when the owners of the house discovered that two more bikes were stolen from the garage, a Kona cross country bike and a Kona downhill bike.

That wasn't the only bike theft reported in the last week. A Pemberton bike shop had a silver Giant Glory O downhill bike worth $5,700 taken from outside the store on the afternoon of Nov. 19. The bike was not locked, and was taken between noon and 1:30 p.m. that day.

 

Impaired drivers still catching themselves

While there's a temporary moratorium on applying Immediate Roadside Prohibitions (IRPs) to drivers who provide breath samples in the "warn" range, several drivers were issued IRPs after failing the approved screening device (ASD) with blood alcohol content above 0.08 per cent.

On Nov. 20 at 3:10 a.m. the RCMP observed a parked vehicle on the side of Highway 99, one kilometre south of Function Junction. The driver was asleep at the wheel and did not respond right away when police knocked on his window.

Once they roused him, the police detected an odour of alcohol and saw other signs of impairment. A 24-year-old Vancouver male failed the ASD and had his licence suspended for 90 days and his car impounded for 30.

On Nov. 20 at 8:45 p.m. the driver of a vehicle flashed his high beams at an oncoming police car, possibly to suggest that the vehicle's lights were too bright. The RCMP pulled over the vehicle and detected signs of impairment. The driver, a 22-year-old from Langley, blew a warn on the ASD, and received a 24 hour driving suspension.

Just seven minutes after midnight on Nov. 21 the RCMP received a report of an impaired driver on Highway 99 that was swerving, tailgating and driving dangerously. The RCMP caught up with the vehicle about 5 km south of Whistler. The driver failed the ASD. A 32-year-old female from Whistler was given an immediate 90-day driving prohibition and 30-day vehicle impoundment.

On Nov. 22 at 1:20 a.m. the RCMP observed a vehicle turning onto the oncoming lane on Village Gate from Highway 99, and stopped the vehicle. A 26-year-old from Coquitlam subsequently failed the ASD, and received a 90-day prohibition and 30 day impoundment. Because he didn't have anywhere to stay he was also arrested for being intoxicated in a public place and held overnight in the RCMP cells.

 

Male arrested for intoxication found with drugs

Just after midnight on Nov. 23 the RCMP received a report that a male was passed out in the breezeway at Village Square. He was arrested for being drunk in public and taken into custody, where he was examined by paramedics. On examination the police found two flaps containing a substance believed to be cocaine, and the male was charged with possession of a controlled substance.

 

If you have any information or anything to report to police, call 932-3044. If it's an emergency you can call 911. If you have any information on a crime, you can also call Sea to Sky Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS and remain anonymous. Information that leads to arrests can also result in rewards.