Officers Dispatch Black Bear After Being Sighted in Burlington
On May 16th at 10:00 a.m., several Burlington residents reported seeing a large black bear in the area of Mountainside Park. The park is heavily forested, contains a children’s playground and is surrounded by many residential homes and schools.
Uniform officers responded to the vicinity, set up a containment area and notified neighbouring elementary schools of the ongoing incident, to ensure that there would be no risk posed to children.
The Ministry of Natural Resources were contacted regarding this sighting as well as the previous bear sighting in Milton.
“MNR personnel advised police that in order to immobilize a bear to relocate it, it needs to be contained up a tree and not in a densely populated residential area,” explained Sgt. Dave Cross.
“MNR officials said it can take up to 15 to 20 minutes for immobilization to take effect, and the bear can be actively on the move and still pose a threat during this time which is why this method is not suitable for residential areas.”
As such, MNR personnel advised police that they were unable to attend the scene to assist.
City of Burlington – Animal Control were also contacted and did attend the scene, but were not equipped to be able to safely resolve the situation.
Neither police nor the City of Burlington – Animal Control are equipped with or trained in the use of large animal tranquilizer guns or traps, or wild animal relocation.
Police attempted to engage the assistance of other private enterprises that may have had the training and equipment to respond, but none were available to attend in a timely manner.
At 11:20 a.m., the bear was sighted by police. Officers tracked its movements and saw it was exiting the forested area of the park into a residential area. The bear was seen again within 30 feet of a local residence. At that point, due to overwhelming community safety concerns, the bear had to be dispatched by officers.
It has been removed by City of Burlington – Animal Control.
The bear was an adult male weighing between 300 to 400 pounds.
“We empathize with those members of the public who are distressed by today’s events. Our officers do not relish having to dispatch an animal, but our options were extremely limited. Given the particular circumstances, we could not risk public safety as the bear moved deeper into residential areas,” said Public Affairs Sgt. Dave Cross.
Posted: May. 18, 2012 Under: Halton Region Permanent Link to this Article
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Lively Dragon Boat Race at Kelso raises funds to support Halton Region's Allendale long-term care home and adult day programs
On Saturday, May 26, 2012, the 10th annual Lively Dragon Boat Race will be held in Milton at Kelso Conservation Area (5234 Kelso Road) to raise funds for the residents of Halton Region’s Allendale long-term care home and adult day programs (Silver Creek Place in Georgetown and Milton Place and Friends Landing in Milton). Hosted by Lively Dragon, a dragon boat racing club that organizes boat races to raise funds for charities, the event will take place from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and will feature a barbeque, family activities, and dragon boat races.
“We are proud to be celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Lively Dragon boat race,” said Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr. “The generous support of the boat club has helped to enrich the lives of the seniors we care for in Halton.”
Since the first race in 2002, the annual Lively Dragon Boat Race at Kelso has raised close to $80,000 in support of the Allendale long-term care home and Halton’s adult day programs. Proceeds from the race go towards the purchase of equipment and also support special events for the residents of Allendale and the participants of the adult day programs.
Individuals who would like to participate in the race still have time to register as an individual paddler or with a team of their own. Teams require a maximum of 20 people and lots of energy! Paddles, lifejackets, and boats are all provided. For more information, contact the Lively Dragon Boat Racing Club.
Posted: May. 18, 2012 Under: Halton Region Permanent Link to this Article
Officers Encounter Black Bear in Milton
The Halton Regional Police Service has received several bear sighting reports over the past two days in Milton.
On Saturday May 12, 2012, a citizen reported observing a bear in the area of Guelph Line and Highway 401 in the Town of Milton. The animal was not observed any further on that date.
On Sunday May 13, 2012, a local farmer reported observing a bear on his property in the area of Sixth Line and Lower Base Road in the Town of Milton.
Members of the police service attended and observed a bear in the distance. The bear subsequently came towards the police officers and stood up on its back legs about fifty meters away from the officers. The bear then ran off into the bush area.
The bear is described as a large male black bear approximately 400 pounds in weight.
There is no indication the bear has caused any harm to any human or cattle at this time. Bears can travel great distances and subsequently the exact location of the bear cannot be determined.
The Ministry of Natural Resources has been contacted regarding the sighting and is working in partnership with police. The Ministry has a telephone inquiry line to report bear problems namely the “Bear Information/Reporting Line” at 1-866-514-2327 and further safety tips can be located on their website at www.mnr.gov.on.ca.
Posted: May. 17, 2012 Under: Halton Region Permanent Link to this Article
