Were you planning on stalking bears?  :o)

 Seriously, I don't think you need to worry. We have been camping, fishing,
and back packing in the foothills of Alberta ever since we were kids. I met
my wife while on a camping trip with my brothers. Black bears are quite
common in this region. They even come down occasionally into Fish Creek
Provincial Park in Calgary which is a block from our house. The only problem
I or my friends have had with bears is destroyed coolers. Bears are
dangerous, but it's not like they're waiting for you to step out of your
car.
 They tend to avoid people, but are also attracted to easy food. I do carry
bear spray, but have never had to use it. Bears are more interested in what
you brought with you. They also like to claim berry patches as their own and
don't appreciate competition. Mother bears with cubs are more of a threat
than a lone bear.
  People in groups tend to be safer than by yourself. Being noisy like
talking, singing, or hanging a spoon with a pot while hiking lets the bear
know your coming. If a bear looks interested in you, go in the opposite
direction from him, and leave whatever you are carrying behind. Don't just
drop your food and keep walking with your pack, he'll think you still have
some food and will likely follow you.
  Some of the bear attacks that we hear about involve tourists feeding what
looks like a tame bear. Apparently they don't like it when you run out of
cookies.
  Every weekend there are thousands of people that flee the city to go
camping, hiking, fishing, back packing, mountain biking, horse back riding,
and picnics. All without incident. During these outings there are more
people that are hurt or killed by avalanches, climbing falls, drownings, or
vehicle accidents.
 I'm not a bear expert, but I'll bet that if anything happens to you during
the trip, it will likely be from a car accident, or a stab wound from the
wiener roasting stick then a bear attack.

AAAIIIEEEEAAAA!  It's the "two bite wounds on the upper thigh"
mentioned in that article  that got me -- that's too close for
comfort!

I ain't a-sceered of no bears though.  I used to live on Ski Mountain
in Gatlinburg, TN, right on the edge of the Great Smokey Mountain
National Park.  The black bears used to come into the condo complex
and rummage through the dumpsters and harass the residents. When I got
home with groceries at night I had to look around carefully before I
got out of the car then run like hell for my door with the food.  It
was a game all the neighbors played.

My sister was just here last week with Nathan, her 13 year old for
spring break.  Nathan decided he doesn't want to go to the PNW with us
when we come out to see you this summer.  He's been cross-country on
Amtrak with me before, but he's at that age where the excitement of
another long train trip is trumped by having no TV or internet access
for 4 days at a time.  LOL.  It's fine with my sister and I; it will
be cheaper for us and free us up a bit also.  We already have our
train tickets, so she has to get his refunded.  I know I'm excited
about this trip.  

Hey Laureen, here's an interesting factoid.  A few months ago a
National report came out listing the top 50 worst places  in the
country for traffic congestion.  The Hampton Roads are of Virginia,
where I live, was #2 (lots of water with bottlenecks at tunnels and
bridges).   Guess which region had the #1 worst traffic jams? -- the
Pacific Northwest!  What's up with that???!

The injured hunter and his partner had been *chasing this bear* (stalking
it, with the intention of killing it), and the bear finally turned the
tables on him and attacked.  He survived because his partner killed the
bear.  However, this clearly was *not* an "unprovoked" attack by the bear.

MaryL