We can all be a little ornery when we get up from a nap so imagine a black bear or grizzly waking up from hibernation.

That's starting to happen, so Alberta Environment and Parks has its annual Kananaskis Bear Day Saturday.

Jill Sawyer, with the department, says they want to make sure people stay safe in the back country.

"Their waking up and their getting out of their dens and their going out to the Alberta back country and so we want to let people know that they're out there and to be prepared and just learn a little bit more about bears," she says.

The family-friendly free event goes at the Canmore Nordic Centre from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and includes safety talks, a bear trapping demonstration, research displays and tips on using bear spray.

"Certainly anybody who does a lot of hiking, a lot of biking, just a lot of activity out there in the back country, they're carrying bear spray but most of the time, hopefully, you don't have the chance to use it and so if you're thinking 'well, 'm carrying this thing around and I don't know how to use it' this is an opportunity for you try it out," Sawyer says. "Just so people know these are inert sprays, so we're not actually spraying each other with pepper spray when we're doing this but it gives you a chance to learn how to access you're bear spray and to get it ready to deploy if you need to."

The grizzly bear population in Alberta was estimated at less than 700 in 2010, and grizzlies are designated as a threatened species in the province. Bear Day participants will learn about current research into bear habitat management, and reducing conflict with bears while enjoying the outdoors.