A grizzly bear spotted on the beach in downtown Sechelt at around noon today, made its way to Mission Park/Chapman Creek, where it was immobilized and relocated by conservation officers with assistance from the RCMP.
Just after 1 p.m. Thursday, Sunshine Coast RCMP warned of traffic delays in Davis Bay by Mission Park/Chapman Creek, because of reports of a grizzly bear in the area and vehicles parked on the side of the road.
This is the second grizzly bear to be relocated from the lower Sunshine Coast this month. The first grizzly was relocated from Gibsons after it wandered into town. At the time, a Shelter-in-Place procedure was put into place at Gibsons Elementary School, Sunshine Coast Alternative School Gibsons and Elphinstone Secondary School and Cedar Grove Elementary and Langdale Elementary after the bear was spotted nearby.
Conservation officer Dean Miller told Coast Reporter Thursday, that due to the upcoming provincial election in October, staff has been directed to not speak to the media. Miller was also not able to say if this grizzly was the same bear, which wondered into Gibsons earlier this month before being relocated. This particular bear had no sign of a tag, so it's speculated this is a different grizzly.
Miller told Coast Reporter earlier this month, that it's not common for grizzlies to be in the Gibsons area and noted that young adult bear had been seen chasing livestock and seems to be acting predatorily.
On Thursday, shíshálh Nation also warned of the grizzly on its land. "Please be aware that there are reports of a possible mayukw (grizzly bear) on sinku drive. We urge community to stay safe and avoid the area," said a post on Facebook around noon.
Watch for more updates on the story.
