Melissa Palmer was in her backyard having a cigarette, and out of the corner of her eye, saw what she thought was her neighbour in the next townhouse just before 1 p.m. Wednesday.
As the "neighbour" drew closer, she looked up – straight into the face of a black bear.
"I stared right into its eyes," she said. "My heart was racing a thousand beats..."
She scrambled for her sliding door, and the young bear headed through the backyards in the complex.
"It was the last thing you would expect to see," she said, living in a urban area of the city, with a thin line of cedars between her complex and the highway.
She lives at Fernview townhomes, at 1751 Mackenzie Rd.
Her 11-year-old neighbour Hayden Viala was playing video games when he got a start, seeing the bear amble through his backyard. He yelled for his mom, but the bear quickly moved along.
Another Fernview resident snapped a photo of the bear.
All bear sightings or human-wildlife conflicts should be reported to the provincial RAPP line: 1-877-952-RAPP (7277).
If a bear presents an immediate danger to people or pets, call 911.
If you have an update on this story, call the Abbotsford News at 604-851-4526 or 604-851-4529. If you have other photos, please email them to newsroom@abbynews.com.