Kamloops mom irate after child came home from Riverside Park Easter egg hunt with a baggie of suspected drugs

Wilsher says the item was picked up during an Easter event hosted by Motion Church in Riverside Park on Saturday (Mar. 30). The park was busy, and Wilsher says the church had plenty of volunteers checking over the fenced-off egg hunt area beforehand, but she suspects the small baggie must have gone unnoticed in the grass.

“Absolutely no hate on the church at all. They did a wonderful job scanning the ground and stuff. It’s just that sometimes things get missed and unfortunately, my kids found the thing that got missed.”

Ordinarily, Wilsher says she would have checked the kids’ treat buckets before letting them have any of the candy, but this time she didn’t, believing there wouldn’t be anything out of place with whatever was picked up at a supervised egg hunt.

Several days later, Wilsher explains that she was tidying up after her kids dumped out their buckets to look through their loot, and the baggie was discovered. Fortunately, none of Wilsher’s kids ingested the substances found with their candy, but the experience has the young mom feeling a mix of shock and anger.

“I’m pretty mad,” she reiterates. “Yeah. I’m pretty mad. Which, I think any person or parent would be.”

“If things like this keep happening, maybe some eyes will be opened up that some changes need to be made around our parks. Especially a place like Riverside, that’s our most popular place in Kamloops. It’s where families hang out all year round,” she adds.

Wilsher called the RCMP and says she was told it was legal for people to have personal-sized amounts of drugs. The baggie is going to be disposed of, but Wilsher also wants to know exactly what her kids avoided.

“It’s scary, too, because my kids on the way home, they had their buckets on their laps, and I even let them have a couple of pieces,” she adds.

If someone does find what appears to be drugs in a public space, like a park, Kamloops RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Crystal Evelyn says it’s best to avoid touching the substance directly, and to call police on the non-emergency line at 250-828-3000.

“If somebody does come across something that they suspect is drugs, and knowing that drugs are still illegal even though decriminalization has taken part, they’re still a controlled substance, they’re still toxic, and they can be harmful. Take the precautions necessary and call police so that we can assist with their disposal.”

Out of this, Wilsher hopes other families will use it as a reminder to keep a watchful eye out for what might be on the ground.

by Dylana Kneeshaw

Kamloops mom irate after child came home from Riverside Park Easter egg hunt with a baggie of suspected drugs

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