By Sgt. Bob Vatamaniuck 

The past week the Columbia Valley RCMP received about 70 calls for service; the following is a sample of a few of them.

Bear left to exit tree on its own

On October 4, a resident living near Beach Drive in Invermere phoned the RCMP to report a black bear in a tree. RCMP attended the location with a B.C. Conservation Officer (CO) and located the black bear approximately 75 feet high in a tree. The bear was sleeping and after speaking with the CO it was decided to leave the bear alone. The animal was so elevated that if shot with a tranquillizer the fall would either severely injure or kill the bear. If shot with a rifle there is a chance that the bear may not fall and become stuck in the tree with a bullet wound. The CO believed that the bear would not come down until dusk at which time it would go back into the woods. RCMP warned nearby residents and consistently made patrols; the bear eventually came down and disappeared without any further incidents.

Reminder of gun amnesty underway

On October 5, a local resident attended the detachment and dropped off container of smokeless gunpowder that was utilized for re-loading rounds of ammunition. The resident believed it was once her father’s and didn’t know the proper way to dispose of it. RCMP took the powder and will ensure it’s safe destruction. This is a reminder that there is currently a gun amnesty program going on right now and if you have firearms in your house and don’t wish them there we will come and pick them up, no worries about registration or possession regulations.

Neighbour alerts police to suspicious pair

During the morning hours of October 6 a Fairmont Hot Springs resident called the RCMP to report two suspicious unknown males near a house in town. The neighbour was able to get a description of an associated vehicle and noted that it was stopped at a gas station in Fairmont. RCMP hustled to Fairmont where they were able to catch up to one of the two males; the other was nowhere to be found. The homeowner soon arrived and confirmed that the house where the males were seen had been broken into. The RCMP used the services of the RCMP dog handler from Cranbrook and soon found the second male. One of the males was on parole and remains incarcerated while the other was released pending further investigation.

KNP crash

In the evening of October 7, RCMP was notified of a single vehicle incident in the Kootenay National Park, just east of the hot springs. A vehicle was eastbound on Highway 93 and was passing a slower vehicle in his large pickup truck when he lost control and crashed his truck into the right side of the road. There were no injuries. There may have been some ice on the road which contributed to the incident.

Unleashed dog causes incident

On October 9, RCMP received a complaint of an aggressive dog in Invermere. The complainant reported that a dog had bit him while the owner was walking the dog off leash. The owner and victim did not see eye-to-eye on the matter and the police were called. Police arrived and spoke with the dog owner and discovered that the dog was only seven months old and his play could be interpreted as aggression. In speaking with police the owner realized that the dog should not have been off leash and advised that she would maintain better control of him in the future. Police insist you leash your dog while outside to prevent events like this.

Industrial park crash

During the afternoon of October 10, RCMP received a report of a two-vehicle non-injury accident between a pickup and a car. It occurred at the intersection of Panorama Drive and Industrial Road in Invermere.

Police attended and determined that the truck had been northbound on Industrial Road and failed to properly yield after stopping at the stop sign and had struck the passenger side of the car, which had been eastbound on Panorama Drive. The impact of the accident sent the car into the ditch on the south side of Panorama Drive. The driver of the truck was served a violation ticket for Failure to Yield After Stop from the Motor Vehicle Act.

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