A man has pled guilty to feeding a black bear from his vehicle while on Highway 93 during the beginning of the summer.

Grant Scott Morgan, aged in his mid 40s, was fined $1,000 at Jasper Provincial Court on August 12 by Judge V. Myers.

The bear-feeding in question happened on June 4, 2010 and Morgan was charged with violating section 24, part 3 of the Canada National Parks Act, which reads “Every person who contravenes a provision of the regulations, or a condition of a permit, license or other authorizing instrument issued under the regulations, is guilty of an offense and liable.”

Parks Canada wardens reported at the beginning of the summer that people feeding bears from the highway appeared to be happening at a greater frequency this summer. 

Laughter arose in the courtroom before the charges were read out against Morgan. A person with a similar name to Morgan who was in court to deal with a drug charge was told that he also faced charges for feeding a black bear from his vehicle while on the side of the highway.

“I do?” asked the man, incredulously, before the real Grant in question got up and said that the bear feeding charge was his. Judge V. Myers, smiling and laughing to himself, offered his apologies.

Morgan pleaded guilty to his crimes at his first appearance in court.