Sunday, July 09, 2023

Workers at White Pass & Yukon Route vote to authorize possible strike

Employees say possible job cuts, lack of wage increases behind decision

Leslie Amminson · CBC News · 
A train crosses over a bridge above aquamarine water.
A White Pass & Yukon Route train crosses a bridge in Carcross, Yukon. (Cheryl Kawaja/CBC)

Workers on the White Pass & Yukon Route railway have voted to authorize possible strike action, citing a six-year wait for wage increases and potential job cuts.

The company — based in Skagway, Alaska — runs scenic train routes for tourists, including some that bring visitors into the Yukon from the U.S.

Jason Guiler is the general chairman for SMART Transportation Division Local 1626, the union representing engineers, conductors and brakemen on the railroad. Union members make up close to 30 workers out of about 250 White Pass and Yukon Route (WPYR) employees.

The union says if strike action is taken, no trains can operate.

Guiler said the workers haven't had a wage increase since 2017. After six years of what he called "minimal" negotiations, the union and the company began a formal mediation process earlier this year. That process has been ongoing.

A three-day mediation session last weekend didn't result in an agreement, Guiler added, and the process has stalled. Union members voted to authorize the strike late last week, giving them the option to strike if they choose.

Members meet again Friday evening to discuss next steps.

"I think it's a real shame that there is a divide right now between the company and its employees," Guiler said. "We take pride in the work that we do."

A train drives through green grass.
A White Pass & Yukon Route train passing by Bennett, B.C. (Cheryl Kawaja/CBC)

Even given the vote results, a strike can't happen right away.

The company and union have been assigned a national mediator, Guiler explained. If the parties can't reach an agreement, union members must be released by the mediator and wait at least an obligatory 30-day cooling-off period before they can strike.

Workers seeking wage increases

White Pass and Yukon Route was purchased by Klondike Holdings in August 2018. The ownership group includes Survey Point Holdings and Carnival Corporation, according to WPYR's website.

"(Ownership) has not been willing to come to an agreement with us," Guiler said. "So that collective bargaining agreement that was initially written for the years 2014 through 2017 is still in place today."

Conductor Bryan Saul said the workers are frustrated and demoralized.

"We're not asking for much; the main thing is we want to keep pace with inflation and the cost of living," Saul said.

A portrait of a man in a conductor's hat.
Bryan Saul is a conductor for the White Pass & Yukon Route. (Cheryl Kawaja/CBC)

Both Saul and Guiler acknowledged the company has also experienced hard times, having to cancel excursions over the course of the pandemic when the travel and tourism industry took a big hit.

Still, Saul noted, contract negotiations opened in 2017 — three years before the pandemic began.

White Pass and Yukon Route says it wants a resolution. Tyler Rose, executive director of human resources, said the company would not comment further.

"We do not believe it is appropriate to further comment in the media on the mediation process at this time," he said in an email.

Skagway Mayor Andrew Cremata said he hopes the two parties can come to an agreement.

He noted many cruise ship passengers who visit Skagway take WPYR trains, and cruise lines market the excursions to their passengers. That means cruise operators could feel the impacts of a work stoppage.

Cremata also said the cost of living in the town has gone up, meaning some other business owners have had to raise their wages. He said he wants railroad employees to be able to stay in the community.

"If (workers are) looking for a cost of living increase from six years ago, I'm going to operate under the assumption that that's something that they probably need to survive," Cremata said.

"I certainly would never get in the middle of negotiations between a private company and their workers. But I want those residents of Skagway to be able to stay in Skagway," he said.

Photo shows the port of Skagway from above, with one cruise ship at a dock.
Skagway, Alaska, pictured on Aug. 18, 2019. (Steve Silva/CBC)

Brakeman positions could be cut, says union

On top of wages, Guiler said a major sticking point is possible cuts to brakeman jobs.

Brakemen, Guiler explained, carry out maintenance and inspection of the train's brake systems and ensure cars are safe.

About a third of union members are in those roles, he said.

"Cutting that person is something that we have seen in the industry on the freight side of things," Guiler explained. "Now, it's obvious that railroads like ours are starting to go after it on the passenger-carrying service trains."

Guiler believes cutting those jobs would also pose a safety issue, but by his account, the company disagrees.

"They believe that they have technological advances in place, and we'll continue to install things in place in the future that will essentially eliminate personnel on board," Guiler said.

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Popular Vancouver brewery closes temporarily as workers go on strike

Workers voted to strike after negotiations reportedly reached an impasse over the issue of wages.





Maria Diment






beer-glasses
Workers at Granville Island Brewing have gone on strike on July 8, 2023, after negotiations reportedly reached an impasse on the issue of wages. Peter Cade/Stone/Getty Images

A popular Vancouver brewery has closed indefinitely as workers go on strike.  

A group of unionized workers at Granville Island Brewing voted to strike after negotiations reportedly reached an impasse in June on the issue of wages. The strike started Saturday, July 8. 

"Workers at Granville Island Brewing need raises that reflect the rising cost of living," says the union. "The brewery doesn’t seem to agree, as what they’ve offered in negotiations, does not keep up with inflation."

Granville Island Brewing is owned by a branch of the fifth largest beer company in the world, Molson-Coors which reported $10.7 billion in net sales revenue last year and according to the release, some of the brewery workers' wages start at $16.75 per hour, with most making $20.97 an hour.

Now, as union workers strike, the brewery has temporarily closed its taproom, kitchen, and retail store to "minimize disruptions to our team, our neighbours and visitors," the brewery says in an Instagram post. 

Granville Island Brewing assures that despite the work stoppage, beers and other products will still be available. 

"We're doing everything we can to get a deal done, including offering raises on top of current pay, which is already above Vancouver's living wage," the brewery adds. "We look forward to welcoming everyone into the taproom for some great beer soon!"

The union invites the public to join them through the summer for 'Solidarity Saturdays' from 12 to 2 p.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. outside the brewery.

With files from Allie Turner.

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Future of deep-sea mining hangs in balance as opposition grows


Ireland and Sweden join countries calling for moratorium on extraction of metals from seabed as UN-backed authority prepares for crucial talks


Seascape: the state of our oceans  About this content
THE GUARDIAN
Karen McVeigh and Chris Michael
Sat 8 Jul 2023 

The list of countries calling for a pause on deep-sea mining continued to grow this week ahead of a key moment that mining companies hope will launch the fledgling industry, and its opponents hope could clip its wings, perhaps for good.

Ireland and Sweden became the latest developed economies to join critics, including scientists, environmental organisations and multinationals such as BMW, Volvo and Samsung. The carmakers have committed not to use minerals mined from the seabed in their electric vehicles.

No deep-sea mining contracts have yet been authorised, but efforts by the industry and some states, including Norway, have accelerated the race to mine for metals in the planet’s last unexplored frontier.

It is a critical time. With a deadline due to expire on Sunday, commercial applications for deep-sea mining could be given the green light despite the absence of any regulations. From Monday, the International Seabed Authority (ISA), the quasi-UN body in charge of those regulations, will meet in Kingston, Jamaica until 28 July to resume negotiations.

Much is at stake. Scientists have warned of large-scale, severe and irreversible harm to global ocean ecosystems, already threatened by the climate and biodiversity crises, if deep-sea mining goes ahead. Too little is known about the ocean’s abyss even to draw up regulations, they say.

Last month, the European Academies Science Advisory Council warned of the “dire consequences” for marine ecosystems and against the “misleading narrative” that deep-sea mining is necessary for metals required to meet the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Mining below 200 metres (650ft) can lead to harmful noise, vibration and light pollution. There is also the risk of leaks and spills of fuels and other chemicals used in the mining process.


00:43
Undercover footage shows waste from deep sea mining tests discharged into ocean – video

Researchers this year discovered more than 5,000 new species – most of them new to science – living on the seabed in an untouched, mineral-rich area of the Pacific Ocean, known as the Clarion-Clipperton zone, targeted by deep-sea mining firms.

The tiny Pacific island of Nauru is expected to be the first to apply to the ISA to begin mining, although the country has said it won’t sponsor an application on behalf of The Metals Company (TMC) until after the ISA meets this month. Nauru – with a population of about 12,000 – triggered the “two-year rule” in 2021 on behalf of Nauru Offshore Resources, a subsidiary of TMC. This request required the authority to complete the mining code by 9 July 2023, or accept mining applications under whatever regulations exist.

Canada-based TMC, formerly known as Deep Green Metals, is partnering with the Pacific states of Nauru, Tonga and Kiribati to explore for deep-sea metals. It has downplayed the impacts and highlighted the need for metals such as cobalt and copper for a transition to clean energy technologies.

That narrative is disputed by some scientists and environmental groups. They point out that such metals are already mined around the world; that lithium, the key mineral used in many batteries, is not widely present in the deep sea; and that electric vehicle technology is constantly changing.

Sweden and Ireland joined a growing list of countries calling for a moratorium, pause or ban on commercial deep-sea mining. They include Germany, France, Spain, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Chile, Panama, Palau, Fiji and the Federated States of Micronesia. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has backed a complete ban. Other countries that have not yet supported a moratorium have nevertheless indicated they will not give approval without first agreeing regulations.

So far, the ISA has allowed companies to explore the deep sea for research purposes only. It has created and adopted regulations to govern 31 exploration contracts, sponsored by 14 nations. As well as Nauru, Tonga and Kiribati, they include China, Russia, South Korea, India, Britain, France, Poland, Brazil, Japan, Jamaica and Belgium.

But the failure to establish a regulatory framework for commercial mining before the 9 July deadline triggered by Nauru has thrown the ISA into uncertainty, and means all eyes are on the meeting starting next week.

Many critical issues remain to be addressed within the draft regulations, a long document full of temporary text in brackets and marked in red. According to the NGO Pew Charitable Trusts, the ISA has yet to agree what levels of environmental harm would be considered permissible, what would be the criteria for such harm, and how it would assess liability and assign penalties.

In theory, each of the ISA’s 168 members is involved in its decision making. But in practice, most power lies with a small group of experts known as the Legal and Technical Commission (LTC), made up of lawyers, geologists and diplomats, with few environmentalists. There is no scientific assessment group to vet applications and no inspectorate to ensure compliance. If the LTC recommends that the council approves an exploitation contract, it can be overturned only by a super-majority of two-thirds of the full council, which comprises 36 states.

Other concerns, particularly among smaller island nations and Indigenous communities, which fear being affected most, include how to share the benefits from mining. There is currently no mechanism to do so. At the last ISA meeting three months ago, the head of Belgium’s delegation, Hugo Verbist, warned the authority was “sleepwalking into a legally uncertain situation”.

This time around, the ISA will address a new proposal by France, Chile, Costa Rica, Palau and Vanuatu to pause deep-sea mining until all regulations are in place. If passed, it would act as a moratorium but would require approval by a super-majority, or two-thirds, of the 168 assembly members.

William Hague, a former leader of the Conservative party, this week called for Britain to support the moratorium. The UK has so far pushed only for high environmental standards, and said it would not support any exploitation licences “unless or until” there were enforceable regulations and sufficient evidence to judge the potential impact on deep-sea ecosystems.

Proponents of deep-sea mining have questioned whether a moratorium is even legal for the ISA to institute. Under the UN convention on the law of the sea, which set up the ISA, the authority is charged with regulating mining activities and with protecting the marine environment. However, the treaty also specifies that the seabed and its mineral resources are the “common heritage of mankind”, and part of the ISA’s remit includes equitable sharing of financial benefits.

Despite the opposition, an executive from TMC has said it expects to file an application in the second half of 2023 with the goal of receiving an ISA mining licence in 2024. Production would start by the end of that year or early 2025.

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Cook Islands PM ‘proceeds with caution’ on deep-sea mining as critics warn over risks

Deadline tied to the regulation of controversial plans to extract seabed minerals looms amid division over the practice
Rarotonga, Cook Islands. The nation is studying the feasibility of harvesting minerals through deep-sea mining within its waters. Photograph: Holger Leue/Getty Images
THE GUARDIAN
Fri 7 Jul 2023

Days ahead of a deadline that highlights the pressure to develop rules on deep-sea mining, Cook Islands prime minister Mark Brown said pursuing the controversial practice is “the right thing to do for our country.”

Brown told the Guardian the small Pacific nation continues to “proceed with caution” as it studies the feasibility of harvesting seabed minerals within its waters. As the Cook Islands moves ahead, opposition to the nascent industry is widespread – including among Pacific states – with some countries calling for a moratorium or outright ban. Those against deep-sea mining are concerned about the environmental impact it could have on marine ecosystems.

“Exploring this opportunity is not only the right thing to do for our country, it is the responsible thing to do,” Brown said in an email interview, while stressing his government hasn’t made a decision on whether it will mine the sea floor.


Row erupts over deep-sea mining as world races to finalise vital regulations

His remarks come ahead of the 9 July deadline that compels the UN-affiliated International Seabed Authority (ISA) to complete regulations governing deep-sea mining. Those regulations are unlikely to be ready, however countries and companies will still be able to apply for permits to begin exploitation of the sea floor.

The Cook Islands is a nation of 15 small islands located between Tonga and French Polynesia, with a population of about 18,000. It estimates there is vast mineral wealth embedded in around 7bn tonnes of polymetallic nodules sitting on the seabed within in its territorial waters. Forming over millions of years, the typically black, round potato-sized nodules are rich in cobalt, copper, nickel, and manganese. Brown has previously said the Cook Islands could become a source of critical strategic metals with enough nodules to meet the world’s current demand for cobalt for 80 years.

Along with Nauru, Tonga, and Kiribati, the Cook Islands is a state sponsor of international companies preparing to apply for a permit to mine the ocean floor in sovereign and international Pacific waters.

Proponents say deep-sea mining offers states a chance to develop their economies using ocean resources while contributing to a transition away from fossil fuels. While no companies are currently mining the ocean floor, significant exploration work is under way. In 2022, the Cook Islands issued three exploration licences within its exclusive economic zone. As a result, Brown says 20,000 sq km of Cook Islands’ seafloor has been mapped and biological and geological samples collected.

The 168-member ISA is mandated to control mineral-resource related activities on the sea floor while ensuring protection of the marine environment.

The ISA has granted 30 active exploration contracts to 21 contractors including the governments of India, South Korea, Poland, and companies supported by the four Pacific sponsoring states.

Ahead of the July deadline, a spokesperson for ISA told the Guardian that exploitation applications can be received at any time and would be the start of a long and rigorous approval process.

“Decision making at ISA is based on a consensus and a work plan for exploitation would be approved only if member states … agree to it. At the moment, it is too soon to say when potential exploitation could begin.”

In a statement to the ISA in March, Margo Deiye, Nauru’s ambassador to the ISA, stated her country would not submit an application on behalf of its commercial partner in July.

The collection of nodules involves the deployment of unmanned robotic vehicles which will vacuum nodules from the seafloor to be pumped back to a ship on the surface.

Last year French president Emmanuel Macron called for a total ban on deep-sea mining, while governments in Germany, Chile, Spain, New Zealand and elsewhere support a moratorium or ban.

Fiji and Tuvalu, which had previously considered supporting deep-sea mining companies, have both reversed course. Fiji has joined Palau, Samoa, Vanuatu and other Pacific nations in demanding a moratorium or pause.

Concerns have been raised by scientists and conservation bodies like the IUCN, environmental advocacy groups and Indigenous people. Corporations including Google and Volkswagen have called for a pause, while prominent ocean experts warn of “enormous damage”.

The harbour on the island of Mauke, Cook Islands. 
Photograph: Jessica Palmer/Getty Images

Craig Smith, a professor emeritus of oceanography at the University of Hawaii, specialises in the biodiversity and disturbance ecology of the deep ocean, leading research expeditions in the CCZ. He told the Guardian an estimated 40-70% of the area’s species have not been collected.

“We’re still very early on in censusing the biodiversity of the region that is targeted for abyssal polymetallic nodule mining,” Smith said. A recent study documented over new 5,000 species in the CCZ.

He said he’s not for or against deep-sea mining but that the activity would have profound and undeniable impacts including the irreversible destruction of deep-ocean habitat, sediment plumes, and noise that can affect whales and other marine life hundreds of kilometers from a mining operation. The effects, he believes, may be more significant than people expect.

Fiji-based Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG) supports a global ban on deep-sea mining. Deputy coordinator Joey Tau has been observing ISA mining code regulatory negotiations for two years.


Discovered in the deep: the mini cities of hairy-chested Hoff crabs

Speaking from Tonga on the sidelines of an ISA-hosted workshop on equity for sponsoring states, Tau told the Guardian, “We cannot be talking about benefit sharing and equity in the absence of proper environmental regulations and standards.”

With deep-sea mining dividing Pacific Island nations, Stuart Minchin, director-general of the Pacific Community (SPC), the region’s largest scientific and technical organisation, said its role is to be objective and support all 27 member nations with “the best available science on sovereign and regional issues” no matter their position.

Brown doesn’t expect to receive an application for a mineral harvesting licence for at least several years, and says his country needs more information and data before it makes a decision about whether or not to proceed.

The prime minister told the Guardian that as a small island nation vulnerable to external shocks, deep-sea mining offers the long-term prospect for development, diversification, and future prosperity.

“We are the ones in charge of our destiny, and it is Cook Islanders that will continue to make decisions about how our Cook Islands resources are developed,” he said.

This article was amended on 8 July 2023 to remove the statement that Tuvalu has joined other Pacific nations in demanding a moratorium or pause on deep-sea mining.

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Nauru prepares to mine deep seas in big climate controversy

Nauru sees rare earth metals as key to the green transition. But mining them could threaten vital marine ecosystems.


Several businesses have joined environmental activists to denounce the controversial idea of deep sea mining
 [Gustavo Graf/Reuters]
By Alexander Kozul-Wright
Published On 9 Jul 2023

Nauru is a small Pacific island 4,000km (2,485 miles) off the coast of Australia. It is so small, it has no capital city and just one road. But its roughly 12,000 inhabitants are at the heart of a conflict over mining the world’s sea beds for precious minerals.

The clash pits differing views about how to tackle climate change. Nauru’s government sees rare earth metals as a key component in the green energy transition. However, conservationists argue that mining the ocean floor will threaten vital marine ecosystems.

Deep-sea mining involves hoovering poly-metallic nodules – resembling potato-sized nuggets – off the ocean floor and piping them up to vessels on the water’s surface. These nodules contain copper, lithium and other treasured elements.

Advocates for the controversial practice contend that terrestrial mining will soon fall short of the demand for rare earth metals, particularly cobalt and nickel, which are needed to power “green” storage batteries and ensure a shift away from fossil fuels.

According to the International Energy Agency, the surge of battery technology in electric cars, solar panels and wind turbines, resulting from a push to meet the Paris Climate Agreement, will see global mineral demand increase four-fold by 2040.

“The green energy transition will require an enormous amount of storage capacity,” said Jeroen Hagelstein of Allseas, a Swiss subsea contractor. “Metals on the seabed can help meet those needs.”

“Sea mining also leaves a smaller carbon footprint than on land, with fewer impacts on humans,” he said, adding that companies intend to maintain the highest environmental standards and operate within guidelines laid out by regulatory bodies

Environmentalists, however, warn that deep-sea mining poses an existential threat to fragile marine ecosystems. Ancient lifeforms like polychaete worms, dumbo octopuses and twilight zone corals are at risk from dredging.

Deep-water industrial noise would also distort communication between whales, prompting distress and interrupting feeding patterns. Elsewhere, plumes of sediment laced with toxic metals could spiral upwards from seafloor vehicles, contaminating marine food chains.

“Deep-sea habitats are largely unknown. We do know that they take millennia to evolve and can take seconds to destroy. Who knows how long it would take to reestablish dynamic ecosystems once the mining has finished?” asked Jessica Battle, a senior expert on global ocean policy at the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

Environmental groups are not alone in denouncing the practice. In March 2021, BMW, Volvo and Samsung, among others, joined the WWF in calling for a moratorium on deep-sea mining until the ecological risks are better understood.

Today, opponents are mobilising around the International Seabed Authority (ISA) – a United Nations-backed regulator established in 1994 to protect the seabed and regulate mining activities in areas beyond national jurisdictions or in international waters.

A fisherman is pictured at sunset at the northern end of the airport runway on the small nation island of Nauru
The ISA may be forced to accept Nauru’s application to start activities this summer [File: Rod Henshaw/Reuters]

Since 2001, the ISA has approved 31 exploration licences. Mining permits, however, have not yet been authorised. That could change this month as Nauru triggered an obscure legal provision two years ago that may allow it to start mining soon.

Under that legal sub-clause in the UN’s Law of the Sea, if a country applies to start deep-sea mining, the ISA has two years to finalise a rulebook for commercial deep-sea mining activities.

If there is no rulebook, mining can start. The loophole expires on July 9. In theory, mining applications can start after that

Over the past 23 months, negotiations have failed to result in a mining code. The ISA may be forced to accept Nauru’s application to start activities this summer (via a subsidiary of The Metals Company, a Canadian firm) even in the absence of industry regulations.

Internal disputes

“Nauru’s application could be provisionally approved,” said Costa Rica’s Permanent Representative to the ISA Gina Guillen Grillo. “Among other requirements, however, it would need to submit an environmental impact statement. Right now, we have no internal process to assess this first step.”

She added that “plenty of member states feel the ISA is under no obligation to approve mining applications until robust regulations with environmental safeguards are in place. And we’re still several years away from that.”

Under existing rules, a mining application must be approved by the ISA’s Legal and Technical Commission (LTC), which then issues recommendations to the body’s ruling council. For a licence to be granted, it would need the support of one-third of the council’s 36 members.

“The council could instruct the LTC not to issue any recommendations before a mining code is established, essentially stopping the process in its tracks bureaucratically,” Ms Guillen Grillo added.

“For now, we continue to work under the principles of consensus and preserving the common heritage of mankind. Decisions about deep-sea mining cannot be rushed to meet some arbitrary deadline,” she said.

Internal disputes are a measure of the tensions hanging over the agency amid pressure from some members to slow down ocean mining, while others want it sped up.

Norway’s government is readying plans to license exploration applications. Chinese vessels, meanwhile, have been prospecting the ocean floor for decades. In contrast, Germany and Costa Rica have advocated for a temporary pause of the practice, citing a lack of scientific impact data.

Looking ahead, Nauru’s actions may prompt other countries to begin applying for licences in July. This has triggered consternation among environmentalists who fear the possibility of a commercial race to the bottom of the ocean.

“Nauru’s legal loophole is small, not big,” said the WWF’s Battle. “We’re hopeful that licences won’t be granted anytime soon and that a moratorium on deep-sea mining will be implemented to help safeguard the health of our seas, rather than use them as a source of short-term profit.”

The government of Nauru’s information office did not respond to multiple requests for comment by Al Jazeera.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA

Why has a Canadian company partnered with the tiny island of Nauru to fast-track deep-sea mining?

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2023/02/why-has-canadian-company-partnered-with.html

A leaked video of ocean pollution during a trial by The Metals Company (TMC) has renewed calls for a ban on deep-sea mining

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Tree planter stable after suspected grizzly bear attack in northern B.C., conservation officer service says

Serious attacks on treeplanters 'very rare,' safety advocate says

CBC News · 
A grizzly bear captured by a wildlife camera in Manitoba in May 2020. The B.C. Conservation Officer Service says it believes a grizzly bear attacked a treeplanter near Tumbler Ridge, B.C., on Thursday. (Submitted by Douglas Clark, University of Saskatchewan)

Conservation officers are investigating after a tree planter was attacked by a bear in northeastern B.C.

A brief statement from the Conservation Officer Service said the attack happened on Thursday, near Tumbler Ridge. 

Paramedics were called to the Thunder Mountain area just after 3 p.m., according to B.C. Emergency Health Services.

Earlier, a spokesperson said the victim was airlifted to hospital in Prince George in stable condition. On Friday, the service said the 21-year-old woman remained in hospital in stable condition.

 

In a written statement, they said she had been planting trees southwest of Bearhole Lake Provincial Park at around 3 p.m. when the bear bluff-charged, prompting the woman to move to a nearby road, at which point the bear attacked.

A co-worker was able to call for help after the bear ran off.

"At this time, conservation officers do not have conclusive physical evidence but believe the attack involved a grizzly bear," the statement says.

No trapping efforts underway

The service says that due to the nature of the attack and the remote location of where it occurred, they do not believe there is a public safety risk and no efforts are underway to trap the bear.

Serious bear attacks involving tree planters are uncommon given teams run into wildlife in the backcountry on a regular basis.

"It's a very rare occurrence. There have been minor events involving swat or nip but nothing involving an airlift since 1991 to my knowledge in British Columbia," said Jordan Tesluk, who's been working in forestry and safety advocacy for silviculture and forestry in B.C. for the last 30 years.

"Usually bears aren't interested and want to make themselves scarce."

The conservation officer service is reminding anyone travelling in or near the wilderness to take precautions including carrying bear spray, travelling in groups and keeping pets on leash.

With files from The Canadian Press

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