White Lake Provincial Park, located in B.C.’s Shuswap region, has been deteriorating says one camper.
“I’m picking up and cleaning up garbage after campers leave,” says Sorrento resident Don Pryor.
“The next campers (are also) coming in (and cleaning) it up because they want to camp here, so they clean up the mess that the camp boss should be cleaning up.”
Pryor has stayed at the campsite for the last four days and says he hasn’t seen any contractors or workers come in and clean the area, in fact, he has not seen them at all since they took over managing the site.
He has been utilizing White Lake Provincial Park for the last 30 years and says he’s never seen conditions get this bad.
While the campground area is small, he says it has much to offer, adding tourists come for the scenery and the fishing.
The lake is known for Rainbow Trout. Now, with the pothole-filled roads, and the unkept area, Pryor says people are going elsewhere.
“We used to have fishermen come all the way from Toronto every spring to fish here. This year they couldn’t get in here with their rigs.”
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Pryor says he and other residents have damaged their vehicles going over the uneven roads.
“Contractor, sub-contractor to my knowledge, I’ve been told is in charge of looking after the parks that they sub-contract,” said Pryor.
“We want the washrooms, the roads, and the grounds cleaned up, so we can camp with our kids with safety and not have to check it for glass.”
The Ministry of Environment says the bathrooms at the campsite are maintained by the park operator who, they say, is on-site every day during the operating season to maintain that facility. In addition, they said the actions of one person may have caused a problem for all.
“Just one inconsiderate visitor using the facilities after the operator has been to the park can leave a poor impression on all users who arrive later,” the ministry said in a statement to Global News.
“BC Parks strives to ensure a quality experience for all visitors.”
BC Parks says they plan to raise these concerns with the operator in order to improve the quality of the area.
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