The Arrival of Bear-Proof Garbage Bins in WhistlerThe Arrival of Bear-Proof Garbage Bins in Whistler
Featured photo: Whistler Mayor Hugh O”Reilly (L) and Village Foreman Ted Pryce-Jones trying out one of the prototype bear-proof garbage bins. 1998. Makarewicz collection.
Today, bear-proof garbage bins are a familiar sight throughout Whistler, but in the late 1990s, they were a relatively new addition to Whistler’s built landscape. As Whistler continued to grow, managing garbage and reducing conflicts between people and black bears became an increasingly important issue.
In 1997, concerned citizen Sylvia Dolson helped establish the Black Bear Task Team, bringing together conservation officers with representatives from the municipality, Whistler Blackcomb, environmental organizations, and waste management companies. The team began developing a comprehensive management plan to reduce conflicts between people and bears. A central concern was the availability of human garbage as a food source, which often brought bears into populated areas. Although Whistler already had regulations prohibiting garbage from being left unattended outdoors, many existing containers remained easily accessible to bears.
By December 1997, the task force outlined plans to introduce bear-proof commercial containers and smaller pedestrian bins throughout the village. The goal was to have the village area bear-proofed by the summer of 1998. However, the task force recognized that replacing municipal containers alone would not solve the problem. More than half of the garbage bins in the village area were privately owned, making cooperation from businesses and property owners essential.
As task team co-chair Sylvia Dolson explained at the time, “We need to get public support to make all the bins bear proof.”
By April 1998, the first shipments of new containers had arrived in Whistler. These included 70 commercial garbage bins and 16 smaller pedestrian bins. The commercial containers were designed by the Black Bear Task Team to be both bear-resistant and accessible to people. Constructed from heavy-gauge steel, they featured sloped lids, smaller access doors, hydraulic closing mechanisms, and animal-proof latches.
The first commercial containers were destined for Function Junction, Whistler Creekside, and other areas experiencing problems with bears accessing garbage. Of the approximately 360 commercial containers serving Whistler’s multi-family residences, hotels, and businesses, 50 could be retrofitted to meet the new standards. The remaining containers were to be replaced once the new design had proven successful. Carney’s Waste Management had already invested nearly $100,000 in the initiative at the time.
The smaller pedestrian bins, known as Hid-A-Bag containers, were fitted with cedar facing to complement the village’s appearance. The first three were to be installed outside municipal hall, with others distributed throughout key village locations.
There were also efforts to encourage private businesses to participate. The Jennifer Jones Whistler Bear Foundation (known now as the Get Bear Smart Society) offered a $250 incentive toward the approximately $700 cost of a new pedestrian bin, while Whistler Resort Management and Sea to Sky Real Estate had already adopted the containers for Marketplace area of Whistler Village.
The new bins were only one part of the strategy. The task team emphasized public education, proper garbage disposal, habitat protection, and improvements to the landfill. Even the strongest container would be ineffective if its lid was left open or garbage was placed beside it.
The transition continued beyond 1998. In November 1999, Whistler passed a new garbage disposal bylaw requiring wildlife-resistant containers or enclosures throughout the valley. The proposed regulations also addressed the outdoor storage of garbage and increased fines for improper disposal.
The arrival of bear-proof bins in 1998 marked an important step in Whistler’s approach to managing human-bear interactions. What began as a coordinated effort involving the municipality, waste management companies, local businesses, and community organizations helped establish the garbage management practices that remain an important part of living alongside bears in Whistler today.
