The Village of Keremeos is attempting to acquire a 13 hectare piece of Similkameen riverbed southeast of Keremeos to ban camping at the popular unsanctioned campground.
It’s been a sore spot with Keremeos-area locals for decades.
Seasonal farm workers and transients take over the site each summer and leave behind a mess.
“In the summer our migrant workers, some of them, will come here and they will camp down there and they leave a filthy mess,” local resident Shannon Forner said.
The Village of Keremeos said it has recovered drug paraphernalia, human waste and garbage.
“We drag out tons, literally thousands of pounds of garbage and camping debris every year,” chief administrative officer Marg Coulson said.
Coulson is also concerned about the fire risk. While showing Global Okanagan the area on Wednesday she pointed out one campfire that was close to lots of other fuel.
Coulson added the unsanctioned camping damages the environment of at-risk species.
“We’re really concerned about their habitat being destroyed year after year,” he said.
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WATCH BELOW: Garbage, human waste on riverbed cited as concerns at unsanctioned Keremeos campsite
The Village of Keremeos has been powerless to stop it– as the land is owned by the Crown.
But that could be about to change.
The Village has applied to the province for a License of Occupation for tenure of the land—to enforce its local bylaws.
“So people would be expected to conduct themselves in the same way they would in a park in town,” Coulson said.
“In other words, no open fires, no cutting down of trees and no leaving garbage behind.”
That also means no overnight camping.
Violators could be fined $100 per day.
Local residents are applauding the village for taking action.
“I think that most people feel it would be a good idea not to have the camping, it’s disruptive,” resident Chris Hollywood said.
The Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development said a decision could be made by this summer.
WATCH BELOW: Keremeos mayor wants province to help with trashy problem