Learn about living with bears; creating bear smart communities; recreating in bear country; bear safety at work; and managing bears (for wildlife officials).

Bear Smart Restaurant Program

The Bear Smart Restaurant Program offers restaurant staff and managers practical and cost effective solutions to minimize human-bear conflict at their workplace – most of which can be easily avoided.

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The program was created after the death of Whistler’s most iconic bear, Jeanie, who was attracted into a Whistler restaurant to access garbage and food. She was killed by Conservation Officers as a result. Her orphaned cub was sent to a care facility and was released back to the wild the next spring. Sadly, this happens all too often. An average of 9 bears are killed each year in the resort community of Whistler due to human-caused problems. Together, we can reduce that number through simple actions like properly securing the door to a garbage room.

keeping bears out of restaurants

This program may be completed in three easy steps:

1. An initial consultation is conducted with the restaurant to review current practices with recommendations to follow (In Whistler, Get Bear Smart delivers the program; in other communities, this could be the responsibility of the local bear aware/wise/smart group or municipality);

2. The program is presented to the restaurant manager and staff is trained – we provide a free information and training package for the manager and each staff person (including instructions, video on DVD, quiz, poster, decal for window); and

3. We follow up with each restaurant to evaluate program implementation and assist where needed.

Why do the program?

  1. It is free, easy, and can help save a bear’s life.
  2. You will be doing your part to keep restaurant staff and bears safe!
  3. You will be recognized as a Bear Smart Restaurant. A Bear Smart Restaurant decal (as shown below) will be provided to you for display in your window.

Below you will find everything you need for ongoing participation in the program, including our Bear Smart Restaurant training video which can be viewed online here. In the Whistler area, you will receive pre-printed materials delivered to your restaurant, to be completed independently. Contact us here, if you haven’t received yours yet.

Download Materials:

Bear Smart Restaurant Program Sponsors