The area director in Blue River says trucks dumping grain along the Yellowhead Highway has long been a pet peeve.
Stephen Quinn says he has been aware of the issue for several years, which attracts bears and can put drivers in danger.
“I’ve been after the (conservation officers) for a number of years to try and catch them, so far not much success has happened. There seems to be a practice, going up and down the highway, of grain trucks coming through from Alberta, stopping in rest areas – and even on frontage roads and private property in Blue River – dumping a portion of their load and then leaving. We can’t figure out a reason for it,” Quinn says.
“It is annoying, it is a bear attractant. Our community here works really hard at being bear aware, and this sort of takes that and wrecks it. So I’m glad to see the RCMP have now made a comment on this… The tourists stop and they take pictures and bears get aggressive. It’s just looking for trouble, and the bear always pays the price when he shouldn’t have to.
Last week, RCMP made a public plea asking grain haulers to stop dumping in the North Thompson, saying it is illegal and harmful to the environment.
Cpl. Mike Halskov told NL News he believes the dumping may be a result of some grain haulers looking to drop weight before they reach scales down the road in Kamloops.