Defence Against the Three Bears- Local Innovations fro Protection of Life and Property on Western Hudson Bay.pptx

The relationship between humans and bears is changing in Canada’s Arctic and sub-Arctic. Churchill, Manitoba’s community members have co-existed among the polar bears for generations, locals are adapting and innovating as the social-ecological system is changing with the return of the barren-land grizzly bears to the landscape. While formal grizzly bear management plans are being developed at the provincial and federal levels, they have historically weighted Western knowledge above Local and Indigenous knowledge. This novel ecosystem is exposing the opportunity to continue fostering community-based research, development of grizzly bear specific safety protocols, and mitigation strategies for future human­­–­grizzly bear conflict. A mixed method approach of semi-structured interviews and Q methodology, allows us to explore the human dimensions of wildlife tolerance and the future of human–bear co-existence on western Hudson Bay. I have found that there are species-specific patterns in how bears interact with property and humans out on the land . The human-bear relationship has already started changing and the community knows it. Residents want resources to deter and handle grizzly bear interactions, to mitigate risk, and for their voices to be valued.