Living next to nature draws many people to Victoria Beach but a spike in bear sightings has some residents on edge.
Cottagers normally see some bears in the area, but this year dozens of people have spotted bears closer to home, including in their yards, often attacking their garbage cans.
President of Victoria Beach Club, Anil Kaul, said it's not a matter of if there will be a human and bear encounter, but when.
He worries about bears getting too comfortable with people in the area. The community seldom allows cars, so people of all ages can walk or bike freely.
Victoria Beach police said they've had a dozen more calls about bears this year than last year.
One is a problem bear who, on Tuesday night, ripped the door off a shed to get to garbage.
Chief Stewart MacPherson said bears only come into yards when they know they can get something to eat.
The RM of Victoria Beach does weekly garbage pick-ups at each home Mondays or Tuesdays and instructs anyone who can't put the garbage out the morning of pick-up to place them in community bins, which are bear-proof and emptied daily.
Some residents wonder if bear-proof home garbage bins could help community members co-habitat with the bears.
The RM of Victoria Beach said it hasn't considered these bins but knows some areas of B.C. and Alberta use them.
Victoria Beach police have asked Manitoba Conservation to bring in live traps.
They plan to trap and re-locate the problem bear and will continue patrolling and using noisemakers to try and keep the others away from people.
The chief said there have also been cougar sightings in the area.
