She鈥檚 efficient, organized and persuasive 鈥� and has left an imprint on the wildlife scene in Squamish.
Meg Toom will be moving to Sooke on Vancouver Island in a few weeks, so she will leave her post as WildSafe BC community coordinator on July 24 but stay in town a little longer to help with environmental management for the Squamish Valley Music Festival.
Since she began a decade ago, she has changed the way people view bears and other dangerous wildlife, but she鈥檚 modest and reluctant to take credit. Sipping java together at 1914 Coffee Shop downtown, I asked if she was proud of her achievements.
鈥淚 am, but if you are passionate about it, it comes easily,鈥� Toom replied. She said she鈥檚 comfortable leaving, now that the District of Squamish has a wildlife plan in place.
At age 48, Toom is looking for a change. Her son has just graduated from high school and will attend University of Victoria in September. With their only child off to school, she and her husband will be empty-nesters.
鈥淲e have a big house and always wanted to downsize, and we always wanted to live on the ocean,鈥� she explained. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think that will be possible in Squamish for the next while.鈥�
Her husband works in IT and can work from anywhere, she noted.
The couple have bought an oceanfront home in Sooke and sold their large house in Squamish. They鈥檝e lived in Squamish since 1992, aside from five years in Colorado. Toom said the change will be 鈥渆xciting but scary.鈥�
Originally from South Africa, Toom, whose parents are English, became a Canadian citizen in 1986. She worked as a registered nurse earlier in her career.
It was the lifestyle that attracted her to Squamish.
鈥淚 have always been a naturalist. We are mountain bikers, hikers, climbers. We have always been outdoorsy.鈥�
She stopped climbing when her son was born 鈥� 鈥淚 have become safer since I became a mom鈥� 鈥� but still loves the outdoors and is passionate about protecting the wildlife. 鈥淭his has been my passion,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think I found my stride, my niche. Connecting people to nature is where my passion is.鈥�
Working for WildSafe BC, her goal has been protecting the environment and public safety.
In 2010, Squamish became the second community in all of B.C. to receive Bear Smart certification, thanks to the work of Toom and many local residents. 鈥淚t is a huge feather in the community鈥檚 cap鈥� we worked really hard to get to that point,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he improvements we have made in the past decade have been huge.鈥�
It hasn鈥檛 always been easy. Some people were reluctant to acknowledge that bears roam around Squamish and that improvements 鈥� such as locked garbage cans 鈥� were necessary.
But it鈥檚 a matter of public safety to ensure that bears aren鈥檛 encouraged to snack on garbage and become bolder around people. 鈥淏ears are considered dangerous wildlife. We want to keep our neighbourhood safe,鈥� she said.
Cougars, coyotes and wolves are also on the dangerous wildlife list, so Toom also teaches children about them when she gives talks at local schools.
The first bear of the year was killed at Stawamus Chief Campground on July 12, she noted. Conservation officers use a matrix of behaviour to determine when to take action, and the bear had become bolder after receiving 鈥渇ood rewards,鈥� Toom explained.
鈥淚t鈥檚 all preventable,鈥� she lamented. 鈥淚f we manage our attractants, there鈥檚 no reason for bears to hang around鈥�. It鈥檚 better for bears and for us.鈥�
When she saw a bear lying on her lawn a few years ago, she let the dog bark and she clapped her hands. The bear moved along.
The animals are 鈥渉ighly intelligent,鈥� she noted. 鈥淣othing is ever bear-proof because bears will always find a way to get into something."
Toom also dispels several of the myths about bears: 鈥淭hey see as well as we do, they have good eyesight, they see in colour 鈥� and they can run fast. Never run from a bear, period.鈥�
People listen now when Toom talks. 鈥淲hen I first started this program, there was a lot of pushback. They didn鈥檛 realize that 27 bears were being killed in a year.鈥�
In 2013, only one bear was destroyed, in 2014 two and in 2015 to date, one. On average, since 2006, five black bears have been killed here annually.
Toom and others are concerned about the potential for human-bear conflict this fall, when the berry harvest will be low due to hot, dry weather and bears will look for other food sources 鈥� possibly back yard apple trees.
She鈥檒l be on Vancouver Island by then, and she hopes people here will continue to respect wildlife.
For the new community coordinator, the challenge will be educating the influx of new residents and visitors about how to be Bear Aware.
鈥淚t takes a community to make a program like this successful. Squamish should give themselves a pat on the back. You certainly made my job easier.鈥�
