Northern First Nation nursery school turns bear encounter into learning opportunity
Northern First Nation nursery school turns bear encounter into learning opportunity
A close encounter with a bear at a northern Ontario First Nation nursery school turned into a good learning experience for the children.
Staff at the Ginoogaming Aboriginal Head Start captured the antics of a young black bear on video Wednesday.
The first incident happened about 9:30 a.m. when the bear broke into a wooden garbage shed and had a hard time getting out again, staff told CTV News. The video shows it squeezing out of a big hole it made at the top of the doors.
Then throughout the day, the bear would approach the building and peer in the windows.
"He hung around all day. The children were curious learners and very cautious when leaving. It’s not every day we get to see them this close," Shelley Franceschini, the head start program manager, told CTV News.
"With the video, we were able to watch and zoom in and have some really good conversations about the bear."
Franceschini said bears are often seen in the community, but she has never been able to be as close up with one.
"We were able to watch him eat the grass, etc. and explore around the centre," she added.
The head start program is located on the Ginoogaming First Nation, near Longlac and more than 200 kilometres west of Hearst on Highway 11.
It offers children ranging from infants to 13 years old a chance to connect with their First Nation culture. There are currently 30 children enrolled in the various programs.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING | Pfizer booster approved for children aged 5-11 by Health Canada
Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says Health Canada is authorizing a booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children between five and 11 years old.

Woman travelling to Canada with 5 kilos of heroin arrested in Poland
A 81-year-old Danish woman traveling from Africa to Canada was arrested at Warsaw airport on suspicion of illegal possession of heroin worth over US$515,000, officials in Poland said Friday.
Trudeau nominates Ontario judge Michelle O'Bonsawin to Supreme Court
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has nominated Ontario judge Michelle O’Bonsawin to the Supreme Court of Canada. In a statement announcing the nomination, Trudeau said that O'Bonsawin is an Abenaki member of the Odanak First Nation and is a fluently bilingual Franco-Ontarian.
Quebec Cardinal Marc Ouellet denies sex assault allegations, says he is being defamed
A prominent Quebec cardinal is denying sexual assault allegations against him contained in a class-action lawsuit that was formally filed this week in Quebec Superior Court.
Nunavut declares state of emergency over Iqaluit water shortage
Nunavut's acting minister of community and government services says the territory has declared a state of emergency in Iqaluit to ensure the city can begin replenishing its water reservoir without delay.
Back to school: A look at the COVID-19 rules in place across provinces, territories
As students across Canada gear up to enter what will be their fourth academic year in the pandemic, CTVNews.ca takes a look at what measures will be in place in schools, by province and territory.
Canada's interim import ban on handguns takes effect today
As of today, individuals and businesses are no longer able to import restricted handguns into Canada, with limited exceptions. The move announced earlier this month is aimed at expediting a key pillar of the federal effort to cap the number of handguns in the country.
Transport minister set to testify at committee today on airport delays, flight cancellations
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra is set to testify before the House of Commons transport committee this afternoon about ongoing airport delays and flight cancellations.
Honey shortage could extend into next year after devastating winter for beekeepers
This past winter saw record losses for beekeepers, and one expert says the prospects for next year are even worse if they face another frigid winter.