Tips for black bear encounters: Keep your distance, and beware if it paws the ground

The National Capital Commission has some advice for how to behave around black bears. The tips were written for people visiting Gatineau Park, but some of them would apply to any encounter with a bear, whether it’s in the woods or the ByWard Market.
First, you’ll be relieved to know that black bears usually flee people. That is, unless food is scarce or easily detectable (lying on the picnic table) or the bears have become used to the presence of humans.
What should you do if you enc