A group of campers visiting Penticton last week say they received discriminatory treatment at a local campsite.
The three Lower Mainland families had planned to camp at Wright’s Beach Camp for a week but were kicked out early.
They feel unfairly singled out and say the eviction was racially motivated.
The campground says the families were asked to leave over noise issues.
However, camper Andrea Klaver said her group was singled out for for doing the same things that other campers were doing.
“Our neighbours for three or four sites beside us were all white. They were all having music, having guests over, laughing (and) talking,” Klaver said.
Klaver feels her group was discriminated against.
“Given the fact that out of the 12 people there three were white (and) the remainder are Black or biracial and given the fact that we were the only group singled out for noise or what not it is my true belief that it is racially motivated,” she said.
The eviction took an emotional toll on the families.
“It is quite sad,” said Klaver’s daughter Anna Klaver-Valdez.
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“It’s 2020. We thought it was better right now but it’s not. So hopefully things will change.”
Global News requested an interview with the campground operators several times but were only issued statements.
In the statements, the operators said they don’t tolerate loud music and that the group was asked to leave after it had accumulated six noise warnings over multiple days.
According to the campsite operators, they weren’t the only ones evicted.
Campers in another site were also evicted during the same week and this season “a number” of customers were asked to leave because of noise issues, the business said.
The campsite said it also issued several noise warnings to other campers during the same time time period the Lower Mainland group stayed at the campground.
However, other campers staying at the campground feel Klaver’s group was singled out.
Monica Thiessen, who was camping nearby, said in most instances her group was louder.
“We were the ones beside them. We were way louder than they were. We had music. We had our kids out there. We were laughing, having fun,” Thiessen said.
Steven Wikkerink, another neighbour at the campsite, feels the groups treatment was unfair.
“When the people right next door like us could still enjoy our music and stay up late and stuff, I just think it is wrong,” Wikkerink said.
In response to campers’ concerns that the group’s treatment by the campsite was racially motivated, the campground issued a statement
“Discrimination of any kind is against our values and policies both professionally and personally,” Paul Lionello wrote in an email to Global News.
“We at Wright’s Beach Camp do our best to promote a positive experience for all of our guests and to ensure rules and/or enforcement thereof are communicated clearly, proactively and equally.
And while the group members say they left disturbed, they were touched by the response they got from other campers.”
While the group members say they left the campground disturbed, they were touched by the response they got from other campers.
“The kindness that the other campers in the campground showed us is what really made us get through it,” Klaver said.
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