‘The Boss’ reminds Canmore residents to remain bear aware

Officials in Canmore are reminding residents of the Bow Valley to remain bear aware after local bear celebrity ‘The Boss’ made an appearance in town.

Bow Valley residents were excited hearing ‘The Boss’ was in town this week ahead of his upcoming concert in Calgary. But instead of the famous rock star, it was actually an adult male grizzly bear of the same name, who decided to come by for a snack.

Making his way from Harvie Heights, down into Canmore Nick De Ruyter, program director with Wildsmart said his stroll was uneventful.

“He doesn’t really care about other people,” chuckled Ruyter. “He just totally did his own thing. He was never aggressive and was just cruising around.”

Other Bow Valley residents, like Howard Hepburn, agree.

“He’s got a reputation, but he’s a good bear,” Hepburn said. “He doesn’t generally get into trouble, however if people are careless or don’t take precautions, then, you know, incidents can happen.”

But it could have been trouble for The Boss if residents weren’t careful.

“Don’t leave pumpkins sitting out, don’t leave pet food, greasy barbecues, garbage, compost,” said Ruyter. “All those things could attract a bear into town and get into trouble, and they’re all under our control as residents. So we as a community need to step up and do better, and keep those bears out of trouble.”

Canmore protective services manager Caitlin Miller told Global News the town has strict residential and commercial bylaws in order to mitigate interactions between people in wildlife, but for those who don’t follow them bylaw officers act quick.