The Mamalilikulla First Nation near Port Hardy has offered to provide a home for a grizzly bear roaming Texada Island and creating public concern about how to handle the situation.
"From a First Nation's perspective, and especially from the Mamalilikulla's perspective, all the animals from the land are our brothers and sisters," said the nation's elected Chief John Powell. "If my brother or sister is in trouble, I would try to help."
Powell said he's worried the four-year-old male grizzly bear that swam over from the mainland could face a tragic end if he is permitted to remain on Texada Island, a place with no grizzly population and where the chances of encountering people are much higher.
The chief said the bear should be translocated to a remote location in Knight Inlet, as the situation is a "ticking time bomb."
The young grizzly, nicknamed "Tex" by locals worried about its safety and urging for the bear to be translocated, has been spotted on Texada Island for nearly a month now. This island spans about 300 square kilometres and is home to about 1,200 people, and the bear made the swim over from the Powell River area.
In an update on June 13, the B.C. Conservation Officer Service said provincial wildlife biologists and First Nations relocated this grizzly bear twice in 2024. Last September, it was first relocated from Gibsons and then from Sechelt to a remote coastal habitat "as part of extensive efforts to prevent conflicts with people."
"On both occasions, the grizzly bear returned to urban areas along the Sunshine Coast within weeks," says the Conservation Officer Service. "Recently, the bear spent several days in Powell River, breaking into fishing boats at marinas to access bait."
The bear also showed aggressive behaviour by stalking two Powell River residents while walking on a trail. It even stalked a Texada resident who was walking home with her horse and dog.
But Powell said in the spirit of reconciliation, the B.C. government should "listen to what First Nations have to offer."
The secluded Knight Inlet has "people who are used to what they can expect from grizzlies; they've lived there from time immemorial," he said.
Lee Toop, a public affairs officer with the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, said the province will relocate bears if circumstances allow.
"In this case, it would not be in the interest of public safety to relocate the bear a third time. Bears that are aggressive towards people, considered dangerous to the public, or are human-food conditioned are not candidates for relocation, due to the risk to public safety," he wrote in an email.
"If further behaviour by the grizzly bear occurs that threatens public safety, conservation officers will respond to those situations. These are difficult decisions, but again, people’s safety is always the top priority. It is our hope that it will not come to this, and the bear will move on independently."
"I just hope that whatever the outcome is from this, it's not an outcome that's gonna break hearts or cost lives," Powell said.
