SOUND OFF: Squatters have taken Jamieson Creek away from the public

“All the squatters up there are terrible,” wrote one in a Reddit post.

Not everyone sees it that way. “Suspect the Jamieson Creek squatters just wanna be left alone and don’t wanna have nosy neighbours from Kamloops poking around their campsite,” an anonymous commenter suggested.

By far, though, most demand removal of the squatters, pointing to the unsightly mess, possible fire and health hazards, impact on fish habitat and loss of their recreational opportunities.

The first camp is located four kilometres up from Westsyde Road, prominently displaying a Canada flag on a couple of sheets of plywood in front of a travel trailer with an awning. Tarps cover a rudimentary storage space. A couple of dogs are heard barking.

A short distance up the road, the main feature of another camp is a worse-for-wear Citation travel trailer with a stove pipe sticking out of a window opening. Still further up, on the opposite side, a pickup truck with a rowboat on it is parked beside a teepee-like structure, while a travel trailer is visible deeper into the foliage.

Locals have well documented the situation with photos that show gas cans, an old wood stove set up outside, clothes hanging on lines between trees, lawn chairs and odds and ends of things littering the ground.

“Why do they have to live like pigs?” a concerned resident asked.

“This needs to end now. Our homes, livelihoods, stock, water quality are all under threat while this ridiculous mess continues,” said another.

They worry about effluent going into the creek and fires getting out of control. There are even claims of petty theft and gas siphoning on the increase at properties below, though it’s unclear who’s responsible.

Every conceivable government authority, plus RCMP have been contacted multiple times — the Conservation Officer Service, RAPP (ironically, a road sign near the camps advises the public to ‘Report all poachers and polluters’), Thompson-Nicola Regional District, Ministry of Water, Land and Resources, Forests Ministry, federal Fisheries.

And so far, nothing has happened, and people feel they’re being ignored. The TNRD, for example, has been labeled as “useless,” and “spineless.”

Jayme Hallstrom, who lives not far from Jamieson, has taken a lead in trying to get some action, reaching out to officials asking for clarity on whose jurisdiction the camps fall under. He’s sent letters to several ministries as well as MLAs Peter Milobar (whose office has replied that it’s not in his riding) and Ward Stamer, and TNRD Area P director Lee Morris, telling them about concerns over waste management and fire hazard and asking for clarity on jurisdiction.

He wrote that long-term unsupervised camps present “an unacceptable danger to the forest, wildlife and nearby communities.”

Hallstrom says he’s been told by the CO office that it’s understaffed and unable to get involved.

It’s unlikely RCMP would become involved, either, unless there’s evidence of a crime committed. Which, in fact, happened last year when a squatter known as “the mountain man” threatened some people with a firearm and was arrested.

As for the TNRD, it has a small bylaw enforcement department that has, in the past, cracked down on RVs being used as permanent residences. And it does have influence with other levels of government.

At the least, the variety of concerns needs to be addressed. Is raw sewage being directed into the creek? Are outdoor fires being lit? Do the camps present a genuine health hazard? Such things must surely be enforced against.

B.C. law says camping on Crown land is limited to 14 days in any one place. There’s no such thing as “squatters’ rights” in B.C. And what about the public’s right?

So why isn’t the law being enforced? Lack of staffing, as in the CO’s office? A somewhat similar situation has existed at the Pritchard beach park for years and hasn’t been resolved. Indeed, the problem exists in other areas as well.

Of course, there’s the broader social issue of why people become squatters in the first place, and what to do about that.

Jamieson area residents say some of the camps have been there for years. The only solution may be political, with local representatives raising enough hell in Victoria to persuade the provincial government to do something.

In the meantime, residents struggle to find their own solutions. One suggested they drive up and down the road past the camps honking their horns and stirring up as much dust as possible. Staging a protest on the road has even been proposed.

Hallstrom, however, believes the answer is a cooperative approach among TNRD, Conservation Officers and RCMP to put the squatters on notice that they must vacate within 30 days or risk having their trailers impounded. That sounds like a practical way of getting the situation resolved.

So far, though, the squatters remain in charge.

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Mel Rothenburger publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca website. He has been mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.

by Mel Rothenburger

SOUND OFF: Squatters have taken Jamieson Creek away from the public

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