Skip to content

Seeking volunteers after irresponsible Jones Lake campers turn it into dumpsite

Conservation contacted the FV cleanup group to see if its volunteers could be called to tackle everything from trashed gear to latrines
21866chilliwackJonesLake1
This is just a section of the disgusting mess made at Jones Lake. Volunteers are sought for July 23 cleanup.

They say you should always pack out what you've packed in.

It's too bad not everyone follows that simple logic.

Fraser Valley Illegal Dumping Alliance is planning a spot cleanup July 23, for a campsite in the Jones Lake area, in the wake of a particularly disgusting grad party campout.

Conservation Officers contacted the cleanup group to see if its volunteers could be called into action.

"The officers reached out to us in hopes that we'd be able to mobilize a community effort to clean up the terrible mess that these irresponsible campers chose to leave behind."

Fraser Valley Salmon Society treasurer Chris Gadsden, with a long history of organizing cleanups, rated the site to be among "the worst" he's ever seen after removing a truckload of trash.

Garbage still left behind ranges from damaged camping gear, chairs and bedding, to BBQ parts, along with plastic food and drink containers — even makeshift latrines.

"Disappointingly, this garbage appears to be the remnants from yet another grad party celebrating the end of the school term," said Joe Daniels, Fraser Riverkeeper. "Young people, both upstream in the Fraser Valley and downstream in Metro Vancouver, need to get the loud-and-clear message that this kind of behaviour is utterly unacceptable."

Now volunteers have to deal with it.

"Whatever happened to packing out what you packed in?" he asked.

It means picking up all the garbage when camping or hiking.

"It seems to be a concept that's lost on a lot of people these days," said Daniels.

The Jones Lake cleanup is on July 23. Volunteers will be meeting between 9:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. at the base of Jones Lake Forest Service Road near the turnoff from Laidlaw Road off Highway 1, for coffee and refreshments before heading up to the dumpsite at 10:30 a.m.

Gloves, garbage bags, and pickup sticks will be provided. Due to the nature of the garbage at this site, this event is not family friendly, so volunteers are asked not to bring small children.

 

 



Jennifer Feinberg

About the Author: Jennifer Feinberg

I have been a Chilliwack Progress reporter for 20+ years, covering the arts, city hall, as well as Indigenous, and climate change stories.
Read more