A Canadian family was left devastated after a mother and daughter were killed in an apparent grizzly bear attack while on a 'casual walk' at a nearby trail.

Jennifer Balcarras, 48, was found dead in the Snooka West Trail of Bella Coola on Monday, with evidence suggesting she had been killed in a bear attack, the British Columbia Conservation Officer Services (BCCOS) said.

Her daughter Selah Reed, 20, was then found dead on Tuesday afternoon following an extensive search effort by conservation officers and Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Vancouver Sun reports.

Their family had been in contact with Balcarras on Saturday, but became concerned when she did not log in for an online meet-up that night, her brother, Matthew, told the outlet.

When they then failed to get a response from Balcarras, the family asked the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to conduct a wellness check on Sunday morning and police officers soon located Balcarras' vehicle at a nearby trailhead.

'It's surreal. It doesn't seem real. It feels like a dream,' Josh Balcarras, the mother-of-four's other brother, told the CBC.

'The way it starts is a few hours of not hearing from them. That turns into a day and then a night, then a second night comes and it becomes a real thing.' 

It was 'just a casual walk,' the grieving brother said. 

The two younger brothers remembered Balcarras, an art therapist, as a book lover with a passion for playing guitar, singing, painting and the outdoors.

She had four children, with Reed her youngest. Balcarras was also a grandmother. 

'She painted murals in her own kids' home, my home,' Matthew said. 'She was very much a central person in our family.'

An online fundraiser for the mother and daughter's funeral expenses also described how Balcarras 'had recently made the move to Bella Coola to pursue a new career and begin a new chapter in her life.

'She was working toward building a future and had not yet had the opportunity to establish savings or put aside funds to help her family with unexpected expenses such as these,' it said.

'Tragically, no one could have anticipated that her family would be faced with such an unimaginable loss.'

The fundraiser also notes that Reed 'was just 20 years old, with her whole life ahead of her. She was only beginning her journey into adulthood, making this loss even more heartbreaking.'

Reed had worked as an educational assistant but was also going to school through Athabasca University's online learning program. 

Her grieving family now describes her as 'a gentle, sweet, quiet soul' who loved ballet, art and hiking.

'She liked a lot of the same things Jenny liked,' Josh said. 'I think they got along really, really well.

'They were two peas in a pod,' he added. 'When Jenny hiked, Selah was right there beside her.'

In an online statement, the BCCOS said it has a team investigating the suspected attack.

'Our thoughts are with the families of the victims during this tragic time,' Inspector Jeff Tyre said in a video posted online.

Trapping efforts are now underway, he said, but no bears have been captured.

Once any bears are eventually captured, BCCOS said it would work to determine their next steps.

'If the bear is determined to be the bear responsible for the attack, it will be dispatched to ensure public safety, as per provincial human-wildlife conflict response guidelines,' Tyre said. 

In the meantime, he urged people to stay away from the Snooka West Trail and to leave the search up to conservation officers.

'We appreciate people's concerns and the desire to assist, but it is critical the public stay out of the area - both due to the danger and to allow officers to do their work.'