Costly Momma Bear Sign stolen outside of Barkerville

A ‘Bear Aware’ sign near Barkerville Historic Town and Park was stolen over the weekend.

Motorists travelling to the historic town through the summer would have noticed a sign reading “SLOW DOWN: Momma Bear at Work… Do not approach or stop” located along the highway between Bowron Lake Road and Barkerville.

Town Managers say the sign was put in place through the summer to caution motorists of a mother black bear and her cubs that were known to travel along the highway. The Town had also received reports of motorists stopping to try and take photos, and in some cases, exiting their cars to try and feed the animals.

Barkerville’s managers hoped the sign would encourage visitors to be more Bear Aware and practice safer measures when encountering wildlife.

The managers also noted that the costs to get the sign made and installed were to the tune of a few hundred dollars. However, funds allocated to making signage like that are “highly costly” to a non-profit society. Now, having to replace the sign for a similar amount could mean the non-profit’s budget gets stretched even further for the town’s management, and smaller items in the Town’s programming get cut from the town’s budget.

In a social media post, Barkerville said it would “kindly like it[the sign] back” and hopes to see it returned soon.

The Staff of Barkerville would like to pass on that just because the sign is now gone, it does not mean motorists are allowed to stop and approach the Mother Bear, her cubs, or any wildlife seen on the highway to the Town. Motorists must still abide by conservation laws.