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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Residents of Prelude Lake East are upset after a mother black bear and her three cubs were killed by wildlife officers last week, in an Ingraham Trail resident's yard.

Joanna Tiemessen and her son Lachlan MacGillivray pick up garbage along the access road to their home on Prelude Lake East, Sunday afternoon. Tiemessen blames improperly disposed garbage for the death of a mother black bear and her three cubs on August 24. - Heather Lange/NNSL photo

Joanna Tiemessen and her six year old son Lachlan MacGillivray have been watching the mother bear and her cubs feeding on berries at the side of the Prelude Lake East access road for most of the summer. But that wasn't all the bears were eating, she said. The bears were also attracted to improperly sealed garbage of other residents in the area and visitors, which ultimately sealed their fate.

"They were going about their business doing what they do naturally do, which is feeding, and we invaded their space and now they have been destroyed because they got the taste for garbage," said Tiemessen, who has lived in the Ingraham Trail community for the past 10 years.

"If people didn't leave their garbage out, these bears would still be alive. We have always had bears out here, that is part of the joy of living out here. We have to share the space and respect them. It's disgusting. It's a beautiful pristine North and people are just ruining it."

Rob Cainz, also a Prelude Lake East resident, wants to see action taken against people who are not disposing of their garage properly.

"I've seen those bears there up and down that road eating berries and if people are that stupid to leave trash out in bear country, charge them," said Cainz.

Ian Ellsworth, a wildlife officer with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, said wildlife officers have been trying the entire summer to deter the mother bear and her cubs from coming back to feed on garbage in the area of the Prelude Lake cabins to no avail.

"Every time we received a call it was always in response to improperly stored garbage of the Prelude Lake residents," said Ellsworth.

"The bears are getting into the garbage, they are feeding in people's yards and they became habituated to the garbage."

Ellsworth said the mother bear was teaching her cubs to feed on garbage.

"We actually did an necropsy and the cubs actually had garbage bags inside their stomachs," said Ellsworth of the bears, which were shot Aug. 24.

Because of the close proximity of the residents' yards and Prelude Lake Territorial Park, it was deciding having the bears there posed too much of a risk to people's safety, said Ellsworth.

It was feared a camper would unknowingly get between the feeding mother bear and her cubs.

Ellsworth said the department would like to do more to educate residents outside of the city on how to store garbage properly. He also encouraged discussion among Prelude Lake residents.

"Perhaps they could get together as a community out there and purchase the same type of bins they use in the city, the big metal ones or use the same garbage cans they have in the park where you have to push up on the handle to open the lid. That would be ideal," said Ellsworth.

Bruce Davidson, campground manager at Prelude Lake Territorial Park, confirmed the bears were seen eating from garbage containers at Prelude Lake homes and cabins.

"Last week I saw them wandering into the cabin area and they spent about an hour feeding on garbage. It doesn't make you happy when you see a mother feeding on garage with her cubs. There is no turning back for the bears from there," said Davidson.

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