June 1, Pennywise – Trail, Beaver Valley, Rossland

Jogger narrowly escapes black
bear attack in Hills
When Francis Levasseur laced up his jogging
shoes and headed out from his friend’s farm in
the small, remote West Kootenay community of
Hills, BC, he had no idea that his afternoon jog
on a secluded Rail-Trail would end up with him
clinging for his life up a small tree for two hours
Landfill Attendant
Job Posting
Nakusp, BC
The RDCK is inviting applications
for a landfill attendant at the
Nakusp landfill. This is an oncall
position with no minimum
guaranteed hours. More
information including a detailed
job description can be found at
www.rdck.ca/jobs.
Email:
humanresources@rdck.bc.ca
Web: www.rdck.ca
while a large predaceous black bear patrolled
below, determined to have a change to its normal
springtime vegetarian diet of grasses and horsetail.
Screaming at the bear did nothing to deter it
after it charged him from about 100 metres away
after he yelled and waved a stick in the air. It very
nearly grabbed him when it climbed a nearby
tree as Francis desperately shinnied up the tree
that helped save his life. Fortunately his escape
tree was too small for such a large bear to climb.
Once when the bear pretended to leave, Francis
came down the tree only to have the bear rush in
and try to get him again.
Just as darkness was approaching and he was
running out of strength Francis was rescued by
the bravery of Mat Phillips, head of the Hills
Emergency Services Society (HESS). Phillips
happened to step outside his farm house above
the Rail-Trail when he heard distant yells for help.
He grabbed his bear spray and machete and with
his dog, safely located Francis, drove him home
and then reported the incident to the RCMP and
Conservation Officers (COs). The COs said they
would not be able to make it until morning.
The rescue was all in a days work for volunteer
HESS First Responders, formed by this small
remote community nestled in prime grizzly and
black bear country at the head of Slocan Lake
where residents deal with emergency issues like
highway accidents, and forest fires until help
arrives, and action with their own house fires.
After the rescue, all seemed OK to Phillips
until Francis phoned to say that he had seen an
over-turned blue bike further up the Rail-Trail
and that there could be another person out there
possibly injured or treed by the
same bear. So HESS phoned
local bear biologist Wayne
McCrory –a former head of
HESS, and they decided to
investigate as the authorities
had still not arrived. Armed
with McCrory’s .12 gauge bear
research gun, they went in on
Phillips’ ATV and found the
supposed bike was a ski-do left
out from the winter. A bear had
flipped it over. McCrory, who
had done numerous bear incident
site investigations in his
career, checked the area where
Francis had just been treed and concluded that
since he found no moose or other animal carcass
that the bear might have been feeding on, and no
cubs in the area, that the bear had pursued Francis
as a predator; something so rare that a study
showed that only 56 people had been killed by
predaceous black bears in all of North America
in over a century since 1900.
Concerned for the safety of others who might
also be out on the trail, McCrory and Phillips
consulted with the RCMP and then went back
and posted unofficial closure signs with bright
flagging at either end of the trail.
The COs arrived the next morning but could
not locate the bear. Unfortunately they also could
not officially close the trail since that had to be
done by Recreation Sites and Trails BC (RSTBC)
- the official BC trail authority. Since it was the
long weekend and RSTBC would not be in their
office for another two days, this left McCrory and
the local trail society to informally post more
signage. The lack of an immediate legal closure
did not sit well with McCrory, a bear risk management
specialist who has worked on numerous
case studies of injurious bear incidents with
national park wardens and BC provincial parks.
He has since asked the Minister in Victoria to
revise the law so that COs have the legal authority
to close any Crown lands when a serious bear or
other wildlife issue threatens public safety.
As for the lucky and relieved survivor Francis
Levasseur: “I am so grateful to Mr. Phillips for
rescuing me. I could have died. I will never go
out in the bush again without bear spray.”
For further information contact: Wayne
McCrory, RPbio. Bear biologist. Valhalla Wilderness
Society & Slocan Valley Bear Smart Program.
waynem@vws.org. 250-358-7796.
~ VWS Slocan Valley Bear Smart Program
Some interesting bear facts
• Most predaceous and other serious bear
attacks can be deterred by properly deploying
red pepper bear spray, which a detailed study by
renowned bear expert Dr. Stephen Herrero and
others has been proven to be more effective than
using a firearm.
• According to another study by Dr. Herrero
(who wrote part of his famous book Bear Attacks
at his farm in Hills) and colleagues, only 56 people
have been killed by predaceous black bears in
all of North America in over a century since 1900
– an average of less than ½ person per year. Most
of these attacks involved adult male black bears
and some subadult males.
• In the 19 years from 1986 and 2005, 277
Canadians were killed by lightning - an average
of 10 persons per year.
- WS Slocan Valley Bear Smart Program
We consider ourselves lucky when we get to see a
bear in our yards... but do the bear a favour, after
you snap a photo to share with your friends, chase
it off. Don’t encourage it to be comfortable around
people...it will end badly for the bear :(, we may
have a home visit.
PHILIP KANIGAN BSc, DMD
Notary Public Inc. A Name You Can Trust
WE ARE OPEN FOR BUSINESS by appointment
Please call 250-365-2289. Ask us about our safety procedures!
2009 Columbia Ave, Castlegar, BC Tel. 250-365-2289 Fax 250-365-2275 www.castlegarnotary.com
Wills & Power of Attorneys
Representation Agreements
Real Estate Purchases & Sales
Real Estate Contracts
Mortgages/Refinances
Changes to Land Titles
Subdivisions
Easements
and more
SOLD
SEASONAL SERVICES INC.
Window Cleaning • Pressure Washing
Eavestrough Cleaning & Repair
Moss Removal
Licensed & Bonded • Free Estimates
250-354-7151 • clearwater.ss@gmail.com
Give Dad
a Break this
Father’s Day
Let someone else
do the work!
Contractors/Trades
RENK MASONRY: High quality
stonework, tile, bricks, blocks, etc.
Call Brian Renk, 778-460-0028,
604-313-9374 (cell) or email brianrenk@shaw.ca
RNR ELECTRIC & CONTROLS:
Your local Kaslo & Area electrician
for residential, commercial and industrial
projects. Call Randy, 250-
366-0087.
SASQUATCH CARPENTRY:
Skilled carpenter available for
small/med size projects. Reno’s,
custom trim/woodwork, upcycling,
heights, fine finishing and more.
Call Tom, 509-0021, sasquatchcarpentry@gmail.com
TRAIL ROOFING LTD: Serving
the Kootenays (East and West)
for over 50yrs. New construction,
reroofs, repairs, residential,
commercial and industrial. We
are fully insured, WCB and liability.
RCABC member, COR safety
certified. Certified roofers doing
quality work. 250-364-2900, trailroofing@telus.net
Contractors/Trades
WITH AN ACCENT FINE CAR-
PENTRY: Specializing in interior
finishing, built-ins and railings.
250-551-1842.
General Services
A HANDY HUSBAND: Renos, repairs,
maintenance, doors, floors,
decks, paint, trim. 250-354-8598.
ALTERATIONS AND REPAIRS:
Clothing only, hemming, zipper
repair or replacement, etc. Call
Marg, 250-365-3943.
BEAVER’S SEPTIC TANK
CLEANING SERVICE: Serving
the Kootenays. Goes the distance!
250-354-3508 (cell) or
250-357-9724.
CLEANING GENIES: Professional
Clean Team. You’ve tried the rest,
now call the best! Fully insured,
WorkSafeBC. All employees on
payroll. Call Marilyn, 250-505-
8346. www.cleaninggenie.ca
HANDYMAN FOR HIRE: For the
projects around the house. Reasonable
rates. 250-304-9960.
General Services
CLEARWATER SEASONAL
SERVICES INC. Window cleaning,
eavestrough cleaning & repair,
moss removal & pressure washing.
250-354-7151.
KERRY’S STITCHERY: Custom
sewing, alterations & repairs, including
denim, leather, canvas &
drapery. In Kaslo, 250-353-7722.
PASS CREEK TOOL REPAIR:
Air and electric tools, small compressors,
quality repairs, fair price.
250-304-4811.
KOOTENAY PROPERTY MAIN-
TENANCE: Call now for a free
quote for any of your property
maintenance needs. We offer landscaping,
bobcat/earthwork, deck &
fence repair, junk removal & much
more. Find us online, Kootenaypropertymaintenance.com
or
778-235-7142.
NEED A PLUMBER? CALL VIR-
GO! We have up-to-date technology
to help us analyze and repair
any plumbing problem. Call Sean
at 250-353-3237. Visit www.virgoplumbing.com
for all our services.
General Services
PHILIP KANIGAN BSc DMD NO-
TARY PUBLIC INC: Open for business,
please call for an appointment.
250-365-2289.
RUBBISH REMOVAL & RECY-
CLE, LAWN MAINTENANCE,
estate removal, gutter cleaning/
sealing, moving, deliveries, building
demolition. 250-231-9397.
SMALL ENGINE REPAIR: Lawn
mowers, rototillers, garden tractors,
etc. 250-368-5219.
TREE SERVICE: Certified, Licensed,
Insured. Pruning to removal
of hazardous trees. Free
Estimates. 250-505-6114, www.
fallguy.ca
TREE SERVICE: Certified, Licensed,
Insured. Pruning to removal
of hazardous trees. Free
Estimates. 250-505-6114, www.
fallguy.ca
THE BLINDMAN: A whole new
view, custom blind solutions for
stunning home interiors, decks
and patios.www.theblindman.ca.
1-855-681-1123.
General Services
VELCRO BOOKKEEPING CO:
Need a replacement in the office?
I am the one for you. Service of
Bookkeeping or Vacation replacement.
Contact: Christine Riesterer
at velcrobookkeepingco@gmail.
com, 250-505-6120.
SENIORS INDEPENDENCE
SERVICES: Renos, repairs, gardening,
snow removal, shopping,
driving, personal caregiving. Friendly,
dependable. 250-357-2293.
SUNSET CUSTOM BLINDS AND
SPAS: Come visit our new showroom
at 295 Baker St, Nelson.
www.sunsetcustomblindsandspas.
com, 1-778-463-1322.
BACK IN BALANCE WELLNESS
CENTRE is excited to be back in
the clinic to help patients achieve
optimal health. We have many
new office protocols to ensure the
health and safety of our patients
and staff. www.backinbalance.
ca. 250-304-4401
6 June 1, 2020 T Pennywise Publishing every 2nd week through the summer. N picture online: www.pennywiseads.com