The Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville is urging residents to be alert after several recent bear sightings near homes and schools in Stouffville, Ontario. A public safety notice issued on June 30, 2026, warns that bears have been spotted recently near populated areas.
“Bears have been spotted recently near populated areas in Stouffville,” the notice from the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville states. “Bears want to avoid humans. Most encounters are not aggressive and attacks are rare. But if you feel a bear poses an immediate threat to your personal safety or the safety of others, call 911 or local police.”
One of the most recent sightings happened early on July 1, 2026, when a bear was caught on camera at 12:11 a.m. in the Kennedy Road-Aurora Road area. Michael Young, whose family has lived on the property for 55 years, said it was the first bear sighting there ever. A bear cub was also spotted on video at the United Soils property south of Musselman’s Lake on Ninth Line in late June.
Earlier, on June 24, nighttime custodians at St. Katharine Drexel Catholic High School and Blessed Chiara Badano Catholic Elementary School discovered a large black bear outside the schools. The Town says summer is peak bear activity season, when bears are out foraging after hibernation. Across Ontario, there are an estimated 85,000 to 105,000 black bears, and Stouffville’s many wetlands, forests, and rivers provide good habitat.
Residents are reminded to call 911 right away if a bear enters a school yard, tries to enter a home, wanders into a public gathering, kills livestock or pets and stays nearby, or stalks people. For non-urgent sightings, people can call the provincial Bear Wise reporting line at 1-866-514-2327. The line is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from April 1 to November 30.
