The Regional District of Nanaimo has experienced increasing incidents of wildlife interactions due to residents not properly following guidelines on organic curbside collection carts.
The carts have become a food source for bears and other wildlife and the regional district wants to put a stop to it.
RDN Curbside Bylaw No. 1802 prescribes collection cart set out and removal timelines, with fines for non-compliance identified in Bylaw No. 1786.
At the RDN board meeting on March 25, manager of solid waste services Ben Routledge informed directors of animal habituation and incidents that include raccoons overturning carts and birds getting into them, scattering materials across roadways.
"Some of the residents within the RDN curbside collection are setting out their carts earlier than they're allowed to either in the bylaw or leaving them out long after collection," he said. "We're talking a couple of days in some cases. What this is doing is increasing wildlife interactions with raccoons and also with bears."
Routledge indicated staff have been investigating and sending message in areas with higher incidence of non-compliance, which varies by community. The incidents have become more widespread that in previous years.
From March 1 to March 12, more than 150 homes across three collection routes were identified as violating the curbside bylaw.
To mitigate negative wildlife interactions, curbside staff members have launched a 2025 Bear Aware Campaign on the RDN Curbside App and RDN Curbside Website, using social media, targeted messages, print media via utility bill insert, handouts and others to achieve compliance.
"We are already starting to see some positive changes with that respect," said Routledge, who added the goal is to "compel behavioural change. Changing behaviour has a lasting effect."
Staff will also continue to identify incidences of non-compliance, documenting offending households.
As of March 24, residents that have two or more documented occurrences of noncompliant cart set out and removals will receive a warning sticker applied to their offending carts, with photo evidence recorded.
The goal of the warning sticker is to generate compliance in most cases immediately. If repeat offences continue, on the fourth incidence of non-compliance, the offending carts will be taken and residents will be informed that such action was taken. It will be returned to the resident if he or she agrees to comply with the bylaw.
If the residents continues to violate the bylaw for the fifth time, a fine of $100 per offence will be imposed up to a maximum of $500.
Routledge said they have never applied a curbside fine as residents have always chosen to comply with the bylaw.
If they do see issues the are within the provincial jurisdiction, such as bears frequenting the organic carts or people feeding wildlife, Routledge said they to report it to conservation officers.
The avoid destruction of the bears, Routledge, who is not aware of it happening at all, wants residents to do their part.
"There are some bears within the RDN that appear to be habituating to organic carts," said Routledge. "My hope is that these actions will let them find another food source and we won't have to go down that road."
