Selah Reed's family first knew something was wrong when the 20-year-old missed a routine Saturday night call with her sister.
asserted
old → know → sister
When no one had heard from Reed or her mother, Jenny Balcarras, by the next morning, they asked the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to check on their home in Bella Coola on British Columbia's central coast.
asserted
they → hear → coast
Balcarras' car was gone and the doors were locked.
asserted
doors → go → ?
They found the car at a trailhead up the road, but Balcarras and Reed were nowhere to be found.
asserted
Balcarras → find → road
Family members across Canada and the U.S. started mobilizing.
asserted
members → start → Canada
Jenny Balcarras' brother, Matt, headed north from Vancouver Island, and his brother left from Calgary.
asserted
brother → head → Calgary
They met and drove through the night but got a call late Monday that their sister had been killed, likely by a grizzly.
asserted
sister → meet → grizzly
When they arrived at the trailhead Tuesday morning, ready to join the search for Reed, her
.
asserted
they → arrive → Reed
The killings of Jennifer Balcarras, 48, and her daughter happened only 3 to 4 kilometers (1.8 to 2.4 miles) from where a
and teachers last year as they walked on a trail.
asserted
they → happen → trail
Eleven were injured, two of them critically, in the Nov. 20, 2025, attack
asserted
two → injure → attack
Jeff Tyre, an inspector with the Conservation Officer Service, said that aggressive bear was never captured, but officials were able to collect its DNA.
asserted
officials → say → DNA
Officials have set new traps in the hopes of catching the bear involved in last weekend's attack and to learn whether it was the same bear from a year ago.
asserted
it → set → attack
They also are not sure whether more than one bear was involved.
asserted
bear → involve → ?
Terry Webber, chief administrative officer for the Nuxalk Nation, said the killings were triggering for the families who were traumatized by last year's attack.
asserted
who → say → attack
"Our community is still healing," he said, adding that they've imposed a curfew and are providing mental health services for the community.
asserted
they → heal → community
"Our priority is to ensure they're safe and ensure our community is supported.
asserted
community → ensure → ?
"
Bear attack complicated the search
asserted
attack → complicate → search
The delay in finding the remains of the two women was complicated by difficult terrain, even though it was close to the trailhead, and the grizzly bear's behavior.
asserted
it → find → trailhead
Searchers found Jenny Balcarras first, then her daughter.
asserted
Searchers → find → Balcarras
The search was helped by more resources and a cadaver dog, Matt Balcarras said.
asserted
Balcarras → help → resources
Searchers found his niece's remains in a bear cache - a place where bears stash food, sometimes by digging a small hole and covering it with branches and vegetation to keep other animals and birds away.
asserted
bears → find → animals
"Even though it was within 100 or so meters (330 feet), locating remains in a cache is difficult," he said.
asserted
he → locate → cache
By the time officials located his niece, she could only be identified by her clothing, he said.
uncertain
he → locate → clothing
His sister was in a similar condition, but they knew who she was thanks to several tiny tattoos, he said.
asserted
he → know → tattoos
"There's no obvious body to identify," he said.
asserted
he → be → ?
"The coroner's investigation will include DNA and dental work.
asserted
investigation → include → DNA
But there is no doubt that the remains that were found are theirs.
asserted
that → be → ?
"
Balcarras was comfortable in challenging environments
Grizzly bears are common in the area surrounding the Bella Coola community, officials said.
asserted
officials → surround → community
Conservation officials maintain a hotline where people can report problem bears, but no calls had been received recently, Tyre said during a media briefing.
Balcarras, an art therapist, had moved to Bella Coola during the summer.
asserted
Balcarras → maintain → summer
She had previously lived in Alaska, where her children were born, and was "the central organizing person in our family," Matt Balcarras said.
asserted
Balcarras → live → family
"In classic, strong single-mother style, she scraped together a career and a life for herself and her kids," Balcarras said.
asserted
Balcarras → scrap → herself
She was small in stature but strong in character and physical abilities, he said.
asserted
he → say → character
She was comfortable living among the wildlife, he said.
asserted
he → live → wildlife
"She lived in the Bush when her kids were babies," he said.
asserted
he → live → Bush
They've lived in these areas and have been around animals of countless types for years and years and decades.
asserted
They → live → years
The species is classified as vulnerable.
asserted
species → classify → ?
Conflicts between grizzly bears and humans are considered "relatively rare," the ministry said, unless the animals are startled or protecting their cubs or food.
asserted
animals → consider → cubs
One of the hikers was transported to the hospital in critical condition and died a few weeks later due to complications from the injuries.
asserted
One → transport → injuries
The grizzly bear was later found dead, according to the B.C. Conservation Officer Service.
uncertain
bear → find → Service
A man suffered "significant injuries," including broken bones and lacerations, after being
in British Columbia's Elkford region in May 2024.
uncertain
man → suffer → May
…and 5 more, not listed.
The Aporia
