​The terror faced by the students and teachers of the Acwsalcta School in Nuxalk Territory (Bella Coola Valley) is a nightmare. Their heroism prevented a greater tragedy and my heart goes out to the recovering families. When dealing with such unimaginable physical and emotional trauma as a community, how do we move forward? 

We are all waiting to hear what the conservation officers find out: Was the bear defensive? Aggressive? Sick? Protecting cubs? 

So far, all indications are it was a defensive mother. Two bears have been trapped, but it is yet to be determined if these bears were involved. Wisely, we are waiting for accurate information that will hopefully surface during the investigation, rather than jumping to exaggerated and reflexive responses. What we do know is that the real answers produced by a thorough and objective investigation will help to prevent a tragic incident like this from occurring in the future.

​In the aftermath of this shocking event, the hunting lobby has wasted no time. Its leadership, alongside a vocal chorus of online and social media hunting groups, is immediately using this trauma to campaign for the reinstatement of the grizzly hunt, an age-old refrain we hear every time a conflict occurs. For an advocacy group to exploit a crisis to push a political agenda is not just opportunistic; it is deeply inappropriate. It is as if the lobby has been waiting and preparing for such an unfortunate situation.

​The B.C. Wildlife Federation calls itself a conservation organization, yet its immediate response is to lift the hunting ban rather than to recognize the conservation gains and stable populations achieved since the 2017 closure of the grizzly bear hunt and seek proven, scientific solutions. Don't we all want a conservation win? Bears are a keystone species, vital to a healthy and productive environment.

​We must first address the environment of fear whipped up to support these political calls. When we see sensational headlines such as "Bear on the loose," we are primed to see the bear as a monster, which fuels calls for a lethal fix. This sensational motto "if it bleeds, it leads" mentality — amplified by the media — is detrimental in every way, as it inflates public anxiety,........

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