A man, aged 28, was issued a $600 fine following an incident where a black bear accessed his food at a Banff National Park campground earlier this month. He admitted guilt at the Canmore Court of Justice and expressed regret for his actions on August 4th as part of a joint submission with the federal Crown and duty counsel.

Caroline Lirette, the federal Crown attorney, mentioned that the man voluntarily reported the event, preventing it from going unnoticed. The man had a bear-resistant bag close to his campsite and observed a black bear in the area that evening, as per the agreed statement of facts.

The facts revealed that the man believed the bear lockers were too distant from his camp and had previously used the bear-resistant bag in Alaska and northern British Columbia without any issues. Upon waking up the next morning, he discovered that the bear had ripped through the bag, consuming pepperoni and a can of tuna while also damaging his tent.

It was noted that the man did not possess a camping permit for the site. Lirette mentioned the man’s remorse over the bear incident and his understanding that feeding bears could lead to their demise.

A Parks Canada warden encountered the man cycling along the Icefields Parkway later that day, heading towards Lake Louise. The man claimed to be cycling from Alaska to Mexico and using the bear-resistant bag without any problems.

Lirette explained that higher fines are typically sought when wildlife access food, citing a past fine of $2,000 imposed on an individual who threw a banana at a bear. Due to the man’s self-reporting, remorse, and efforts to prevent wildlife access to food with a bear-resistant bag, a lower fine was agreed upon.

Duty counsel Janice Taylor mentioned that the man recognized the dangers posed by his actions, not only to himself but also to the public and the bear’s safety. The Rampart Creek campground remains under a bear warning and is currently closed to tents and tent trailers.