Black bear cub rehab facility planned for RM of Rockwood

A Manitoba couple says their plan to build the province's first black bear cub rehabilitation facility in Rockwood is getting lots of support from the community.

Judy Stearns and her husband Roger applied for a special zoning permit to build the facility on their farm land just north of Stonewall, and she said she's happy that people in the area are backing the idea.

A public hearing was held on May 24 where she and her husband, and an animal welfare expert from Zoocheck Canada made a presentation about the self-funded proposed centre.

"Excited going forward, pretty optimistic, sounds like everyone is on the same side and it's just a matter of the council approving the zoning," Stearns said.

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She said after learning there were no facilities of this kind in the province she decided to take matters into her own hands.

"I've realized that Manitoba is one of the only provinces in Canada that has a black bear population and does not have a rehabilitation facility, so there aren't many options for orphaned cubs at the moment," she said. 

Stearns is a longtime advocate for orphaned cubs and came up with the idea after a black bear cub nicknamed Makoon was rescued from a ditch in St. Malo five years ago.

"For me personally, that's how I became involved."

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She said the facility will have two enclosures and will be able to care for cubs like Makoon until they are able to live on their own in the wild. 

She said with the help of volunteers and Manitoba Conservation, the facility will be able to take in up to 10 cubs at a time.

Stearns received a $50,000 donation from animal rights activist (and Price is Right host) Bob Barker last August to help fund the project. 

"We did get a generous donation from Bob Barker to help build the facility and after that it's going to be self funded by ourselves, and from donations and grants."

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Stearns said she's getting a lot of support from the rural municipality.

Jim Campbell, reeve for the Rural Municipality of Rockwood, said he doesn't expect any opposition from council.

"Well we haven't voted on it yet but I don't foresee it being a problem," he said.

Campbell said while he doesn't expect any economic spin-offs from the new bear rehab centre, he said it could put his community on the map. 

"It's just a unique thing, and it might bring us some recognition in that Rockwood will have a rehab centre for orphaned bears," Campbell said.

The RM of Rockwood council will vote on the proposal June 14.

Stearns said she's still waiting for the province to issue a special permit for the facility.