Residents react to Havelock bear attack

by Erin Stewart

After a bear attacked a woman east of Havelock, people in the small community of  4,500 are concerned about their safety.

A 53-year-old woman is recovering at home, after being mauled by one of three bears she encountered while walking in the woods off of 7^th Line, east of Havelock.  This incident has lead local residents to think twice before walking in the woods alone.

Sonia Aaltonen lives on the same rode where the bear attacked. She says she went to Home Hardware after hearing of the attack because she’s scared. “We are looking for bear spray, or blow horns is what they say to buy because we like to walk the area,” she said.

Aaltonen likes to walk in the area, but is now nervous and says, “I definitely wont be walking”.

Lynn Northup works at Home Hardware in Havelock and says she’s had issues with walking in the woods before the attack.

“I don’t walk back in the bush anymore because I’ve seen personally baby bear tracks and we had a scare here a couple years ago with bears coming right into town. So I don’t walk up there anymore because I used to walk my dog and now I am too nervous,” she says.

Knowing what to do if one comes in close proximity to a bear is important information.

John Blakely has lived in Havelock his entire life. He says he’s heard conflicting advice on how to handle bear encounters.

“I used to hear that you shouldn’t run and then now I hear that you should run. I know some people that carry a bell and that when they are hiking to make noise but otherwise I don’t know how many people are educated about what they should and shouldn’t do and what is actually true and what isn’t,” he says.

The Ministry of Natural Resources’ website offers a fact sheet on what to do if you encounter a black bear.

It suggests if a bear approaches,  you should stand tall, make noise and hold your ground. Do not run or climb a tree because bears can do both better than humans.