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Video: Yogi yielded at Port Coquitlam business' door during coworking week

The Fountainhead Network Studios in Port Coquitlam had a surprise guest to their members' entrance while hosting a busy week of free collaboration.
bearportcoquitlamfountainheadnetworkstudiosaugust2023coworkingweek
A black bear wandered near the members' entrance to The Fountainhead Network Studios, possibly looking to collaborate during free coworking week at the Port Coquitlam media space.

Tri-Cities content creators had the chance to share talents in a Port Coquitlam multimedia facility for free last week for international coworking week.

And it appears Yogi wanted to take advantage of The Fountainhead Network Studios' offer, too.

Security footage sent to the Tri-City News showed, what appeared to be, a young adult black bear roaming around the members-only entrance at the Westwood Street business.

It's seen wandering up to TFN's door, potentially realizing the door is locked and walks back towards the forested and residential area east of the building.

@tricitynews Wanna work with Yogi? 🎙️🐻 #tricitynews #portcoquitlam #bear #bearsoftiktok #bearsighting #coworking #coworkingspace #tfn ♬ (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear - Elvis Presley

Co-founder Mike Arboit claimed it was funny to see the animal try to become a member of TFN.

But said it wasn't surprising considering the demand for the studios' use during its free biannual coworking week, which took place from Aug. 8 to 11.

"Probably about 50 [entrepreneurs and content creators] in total," Arboit added.

"Our busiest day was Friday for sure out of all the days. It's such a different type of industry....It's different all the time."

During coworking week, interested users had exclusive access to TFN's lounge, its wired hot desks at 55 inches apart, high speed internet, media studios, workshop classrooms and board rooms.

At least, everyone except the bear.

Recent bear sightings

This the latest of a number of recent bear sightings across the Tri-Cities — primarily Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam.

As of Tuesday (Aug. 15), the City of Coquitlam has enforced a food ban for three parks on Burke Mountain resulting from an increase in bear activity in the neighbourhood.

This includes Hockaday and Galette parks, as well as Karley Crescent near the Coquitlam River where it was reported some bears tried to access garbage, coolers and picnics.

Earlier this month, an eight-year-old girl saved her one-year-old brother from a potential bear encounter in Coquitlam's Ranch Park area as it crept near the driveway while the two were outside.

Juliet Biron saw the animal, calmly walked towards Jax, picked him up and briskly went back into the house.

@tricitynews Bears, bears, bears. 🐻⚠️ #tricitynews #coquitlam #portcoquitlam #bear #bears #bearsoftiktok #bearsighting ♬ News Report Serious VTR(1406117) - howlingindicator

Four bears, meanwhile, were caught on video wrestling in the backyard of a Harbour Chines residence, and another was found eating berries off the bushes near the gravel field at Maple Creek Middle School.

"Bears have a strong sense of smell, meaning it only takes a small amount of food to attract them to your picnic or property," said Coquitlam environment manager Caresse Selk in an earlier statement.

"Unsecured garbage continues to be the most common bear attractant in Coquitlam. This is a problem because bears that become used to eating garbage can become unpredictable, and increase the risk to public safety."

Bear safety tips

WildSafeBC lists the following tips to avoid bear encounters:

  • Keep your garbage in or secured somewhere not accessible to wildlife until the day of collection
  • Keep carts and bins odour-free by freezing smelly garbage and food waste until collection day and regularly cleaning them
  • Manage your fruit trees
    • Don’t let windfalls accumulate, and pick fruit as it ripens
    • If you don’t want the fruit, consider...
      • Accessing a fruit gleaning group in your community
      • Washing the blossoms off in the spring so the fruit doesn’t set
      • Replacing the tree with a non-fruit bearing variety
  • Don’t put out bird feeders when bears are active
    • A kilo of bird seed has approximately 8,000 calories and is a great reward for a hungry bear
  • Keep your compost working properly with lots of brown materials and a regular schedule of turning
  • If you have livestock or backyard chickens use a properly installed and maintained electric fence to keep bears and livestock apart

The public is being reminded to also check your surroundings when out in the back country as bears are known to hang out in trees.