B.C. provincial parks have been closed for weeks but some Okanagan residents are by-passing gates and are using them anyway.
Ericka Demoskoff, who lives just minutes away from a provincial park entrance, said she’s been trying to talk to these rule-breakers.
“I’ve been told that they do not care, they are going into the park whether it’s closed or not,” said Ericka Demoskoff, a concerned resident who lives just minutes away from a provincial park entrance.
“They say they don’t have to obey the law and they won’t obey the law.”
Some of the provincial park users have even defaced some of the notices.
“The sign that says ‘park closed’ was ripped out by someone,” said Kelsey Wickett, a nearby concerned resident.
One Okanagan man who was seen walking his dogs in the closed park said he doesn’t understand why the park is closed in the first place.
“It doesn’t make any sense to me, I’m getting mixed messages from Dr. Bonnie Henry,” said Jim Gray, an Okanagan resident that was in the closed park.
“I was reading on a local news station that she was encouraging people to get outside and use the parks. I just don’t see what the problem is.”
When BC Parks announced the closures, a large part of the reason that was given was to discourage unnecessary travel.
“A lot of it has to do with our forest fire risk and flooding risk we are seeing now,” Dr. Bonnie Henry said on Saturday.
BC Parks did issue a statement on Okanagan residents using the closed parks.
It read: “BC Parks is aware of non-compliance in parks in the Okanagan area. BC Parks will continue to provide regular staff patrols at key times and locations to help maintain the closure while it remains in place in response to COVID-19. Those found in non-compliance of the Executive Director Order face eviction and/or fines of up to $115 per person.
“While BC Parks have been closed to ensure public safety and help stop the spread of COVID-19, people are encouraged to find other outdoor spaces to enjoy that are close to their home, as long as there is enough space for safe physical distances to be maintained. We recognize the value nature has for improving health and wellness and will reopen access to the park system as soon as it is safe to do so.”
At her most recent public address, Dr. Henry alluded that the parks might not be closed for much longer.
“We are looking at how we can open up the parks in a safe way,” said Henry.
With summer weather around the corner, there is little doubt people will be anxious for the parks to open, and for some they might just keep using them regardless.