Clear Lake Cabin Association

This beautiful night view photo, taken on 1st Street South, was sent in by Corinne Groff. Thanks Corinne, it is a fabulous picture.

This photo was taken last year by Mackenzie Yakimowski on Highway #10 just before Lake Audy turnoff. Thanks Mackenzie, what a great picture.

Photo was sent in by Inez Drummond and was taken on June 6, 2018 between Wasagaming and the Golf Course. Thanks Inez for capturing our wildlife friends we live with everyday around our beautiful Campground.

JULY 20, 2018

There have recently been a number of closures and warnings issued in the park due to bear activity. All of our updates and notices can be found on the Riding Mountain National Park Website or Social Media pages.

The following is a Q&A that addresses many of the questions that have come up lately regarding bear safety in the park and can be used when responding to questions from visitors.

Please remain alert when travelling to areas where bear activity has been high. Visitors looking to obtain information about recent bear sightings and trail closures can call, stop by the Visitor Centre or can call 204-848-7275.

Q1. How do I avoid bear encounters while visiting Riding Mountain National Park?
A1. Visitors should take the proper precautions including staying on established trails, hiking in daylight, making noise, and travelling in groups. Check the Riding Mountain National Park website to stay up to date on wildlife-related area closures and warnings.

Visitors and staff are reminded to:
· Be alert when in areas where bears are likely to be, such as near berry patches and other food sources. Watch for bear signs such as fresh tracks, droppings, or digging.
· Travel in groups. Keep children close by.
· Make noise. Conversation and singing will let the bear know where you are. Bears normally leave an area once they’ve sensed a human.
· Keep your dog on a leash AT ALL TIMES or leave it at home. A roaming dog might be perceived as a threat to a bear or its cubs.
· Walk away slowly if you surprise a bear nearby. Stay calm, speak to the bear calmly, and back away slowly, never run. Make yourself large, don’t drop your backpack, leave the area or take a detour.
· DO NOT cook food near your tent or store food inside your tent. Instead, keep food in a secure vehicle or use rope to suspend it between two trees or in a storage locker where available.
· DO NOT climb a tree, but wait in a vehicle or building for the bear to leave an area.

Q2. Where do I go for information about closures and warnings related to bears?
A2. Check the Riding Mountain National Park website (parkscanada.ca/riding) to stay up to date on wildlife-related area closures and warnings. Parks Canada officials may when necessary apply closures to areas deemed temporarily unsafe to protect the public. Respect closures and group access requirements—they are in place for the safety of visitors and to give bears a chance to use critical habitat undisturbed.

Q3. What should you do (and not do) if you encounter a bear?
A3. Walk away slowly if you encounter a nearby bear. Stay calm, speak to the bear calmly, and back away slowly, never run. Pick up small children. Make yourself large, don’t drop your backpack, leave the area, or take a detour. DO NOT climb a tree, but wait in a vehicle or building for the bear to leave an area. Keep your dog on a leash AT ALL TIMES or leave it at home.

Q4. How can I protect my dog from bears while using the park?
A4. To prevent unsafe situations, dogs must be on a leash and under control at all times. A leash will help to keep them safe from bears, other wildlife, and other aggressive dogs. Dogs can cause stress for wildlife and a roaming dog might be perceived as a threat to a bear or its cubs. Off-leash dogs can trigger aggressive behaviour from a bear and create a situation where they return to their human with a bear in pursuit.

Q5. What are ways campers can practice safety at the park?
A5. Parks Canada wants to remind visitors that they share the surrounding habitat with wildlife and have a responsibility to be informed and act appropriately.

Keep your picnic or camping site odor/attractant-free. Move the food, cooler, dirty dishes, recyclables/garbage, BBQ, lotions, and pet food into your vehicle, trailer or storage locker (tents are not bear-proof). Please don’t leave out food, coolers, garbage or other highly scented items. These items can catch the attention of a curious bear looking for an easy meal. Do not cook food near your tent or store food inside your tent. Put all garbage in bear-proof garbage bins.

Q6. What are the rules around roadside bear viewing?
A6. Visitors are expected to behave in a manner that is in compliance with traffic and wildlife regulations and in which they do not place others at risk. Pulling over to observe wildlife on highways can cause serious hazards. Here are some tips to view roadside wildlife safety:

· Drive by slowly instead of stopping. This is the best way to minimise your impact on a roadside bear.

· Warn other motorists by flashing your hazard lights.

· Be extra cautious as sight lines are often blocked by improperly parked cars.

· Be on the lookout for distracted drivers, people crossing the highway, or the possibility of a bear darting out in front of you.

If you decide to stay:

· Pull over safely without blocking the driving lane (ideally at a pull-off).

· Observe and photograph bears from the safety of your car.

· View from afar. Please ensure that you are not crowding, approaching, or obstructing a bear’s pathway.

· Do not feed or use attractants to entice the bear to come closer.

Give bears space: Visitors often do not realize that their enthusiasm and excitement to take pictures and to view a bear in the wild causes them to get too close or to crowd these sensitive animals. The repeated impact of people getting too close to bears also causes them to lose their natural fear of humans. Bears that become comfortable around people and facilities are at a greater risk of being struck by vehicles or finding improperly stored food and garbage by negligent park users. Please do your part by viewing bears responsibly.

Q7. It seems like there are a lot more bears than usual this year! What’s up with that?
A7. We do not believe there has been any change in bear populations. Visitors should expect to see bears when they are in the park. The berries are in season right now and berry bushes along the sides of trails will attract bears. Be alert and keep an eye out for bear signs such as fresh tracks, droppings, or digging.

We estimate there are 800-1000 bears in RMNP. It is hard to estimate the exact number of bears through traditional methods of counting. Bears are out of the dens in the summer when they would be countable. Doing traditional counts, from the air, is not possible due to leaf cover and the fact that bears blend into the surroundings so well. We currently use an estimate based on the available habitat types and use methods from other jurisdictions that have done the work to determine the population.

Q8. Is there a certain time of year when bears are more aggressive?
A8. Not particularly. Bears may react aggressively if they are surprised or caught off guard. Visitors should be extra cautious if they encounter a sow with cubs and give them plenty of room to leave the area.

Q9. What do I do if I see an injured bear?
A9. Do not approach or touch the bear. Report any sightings of injured wildlife to Parks Canada Dispatch at 1-877-852-3100.

Q10. What can I do to help protect bears?
A10. The best thing you can do for bears is to limit their exposure to you.

· Consider not stopping when you see a roadside bear.

· Put all garbage in bear-proof garbage bins.

· Keep your picnic or camping site odor/attractant-free. Move the food, cooler, dirty dishes, recyclables/garbage, BBQ, lotions, and pet food into your vehicle, trailer or storage locker (tents are not bear-proof).

· Use official trails only and leave the wild trails to wildlife.

· Respect closures and group access requirements—they are in place for your safety and to give bears a chance to use critical habitat undisturbed.

· Pay attention to warnings—follow recommendations. Be careful when travelling through these areas, or choose a different route.

Two dragonflies mating while sitting on my sister’s t-shirt! Definitely an unusual spot to be! It was taken in July 2016 at Lake Katherine standing on the dock. Photo sent in by Kathleen Brown.

A couple of photos sent in by Bonnie Frith. The first one as she was leaving the golf course on June 8th, 2018 at about 6:30 pm. So beautiful a view! The second one of “Canoe Haven” (I just learned that it was referred to by this name this morning, very cute!!!)

Taken June 9th. Iconic!

Please join together by the bandstand July 21st for the 2nd annual Yoga by the Lake!

This will be an all levels donation based class with all proceeds going directly to The CancerCare Manitoba Foundation.

For more information please visit:
https://www.facebook.com/healingmindshealingbodies/

Picture sent in by Janelle Whitley taken June 23, 2018 at 5th street dock around 4:00 p.m. Looked like a big storm coming up but it passed over so we had nice weather for Moonlight Madness. Janelle’s doggie doesn’t look too frightened!!!