Genealogy a bear market?

Ottawa writer Phil Jenkins, a man of many talents and catching turn of phrase, casts his attention on The Ottawa Room, and the Ottawa Public Library's local history collection, in Monday's Ottawa Citizen -- http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Ottawa+Room+holds+memories/2311042/story.html

I am a bit puzzled as to where he gets the idea that "genealogy is a bear market," and at the same time can characterize the genealogy collection as "boisterous"?