I am a senior who gets exercise and pleasure by going for a walk every day, weather permitting, which basically means stay home if it's raining - or threatening to - and then take an umbrella, and take a chance.
This Sunday morning was as lovely as a day could be, so I readied myself to walk. I take my walking stick, a self-made stick that has a pick in one end, and a hook in the other, carried horizontally. Its real purpose is not to aid me in walking, it's for protection against dogs that are running loose and need to be fended off. It has served its purpose several times.
My usual route for the daily walk is up Dagg Road, and the construction of a skateboard park took my attention for a few steps, then my gaze returned to the road and the black patch that appeared up ahead in the ditch on the left side. I thought it was a black dog, but when it moved out onto the road, I realized immediately that it was a bear cub.
It hesitated, then advanced slowly to the centre of the road, where it paused and turned its head towards me as if to ask "What are you going to do?"
I had walked slowly forward, and now was only about 500 feet away from a bear cub. This was unbelievable. First, because I've been terrified of bears all my life. My worst nightmares were about bears, and yet now, when when face to face with a real live bear, I felt no fear at all. I stood still and my only thought was "What are you going to do?"
A few seconds later, the bear proceeded the rest of the way to the edge of the road where it wove in and out around driveways, garages and parked vehicles until from my safe following distance, I saw it turn and disappear down Rundstrom Road.
Now I continued my walk, amazed at myself for the way I had handled this incident. My only means of self-defense - still in my hand - was the walking stick that I always take with me.
Ida Nikkel
Prince George
