Image Credit: Kent Simmonds / CFJC Today

By Dylana Kneeshaw

JAMIESON CREEK FOREST SERVICE ROAD

Environmental concerns ramping up from long-term camping near Jamieson Creek

Sep 24, 2025 | 5:15 PM

KAMLOOPS — A group of residents living in the Westsyde area of Kamloops is voicing concerns about long-term camping in the Jamieson Creek area. Several campsites have been set up on the Crown land behind Westsyde and Black Pines, and the living situation has people worried about potential damage to the environment and wildfire risk.

CFJC ventured out to the Jamieson Creek area this week and spoke with Jayme Hallstrom, who is among those who have ramped up reporting issues related to the long-term camping. About 13 kilometres up the forest service road, a large trailer is hung over the edge of the road above the creek, which Hallstrom says is the latest addition to the growing problem.

“How long has that (trailer) been sitting there for?” Hallstrom was asked.

“A week now,” he replies. “And obviously no attempt has been made to get it out of there.”

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The unit is a typical camping trailer and Hallstrom doesn’t want to see the crashed and abandoned trailer sitting beside the road working vehicles use, not to mention the watershed.

“This is Jamieson Creek Falls where people come from town to get into nature and now we’ve got this eyesore. How do you get it out of there without damaging the riparian zone?” he wonders. “I mean, as a farmer I can’t be within 100 metres of that to fall a tree but now these folks can camp here and leave garbage here?”

Hallstrom says the residents have contacted the federal Department of Fisheries, the Thompson Nicola Regional District, the RAPP line, and now they’re hoping the province can step in.

“These government-funded organizations are not serving the taxpayer with the job that they’re entrusted to do, which is protect the salmon-bearing stream from pollution,” stresses Hallstrom.

According to Hallstrom, their concern isn’t over the fact people want to camp in the area. Rather, it’s centred around potential environmental damage from improper sanitation, garbage left behind near the stream and wildfire risk.

On Wednesday (Sept. 24), CFJC went to several of the campsites along the Jamieson Creek Forest Service Road to hear from people who have been living out there, but none of the people staying at the sites we visited were available to do an interview.

“I have sympathy for them not having a place to stay,” reiterates Hallstrom. “But I think the TNRD and the city have land where these people can [stay] and can be provided some port-a-potties, garbage collection and a few other things. And they don’t have to be in a riparian zone, next to a salmon-bearing stream.”

Neighbours have pitched in to haul some of the abandoned garbage out of the area and while they wait on action to be taken, residents are encouraging people to keep reporting problems to the RAPP line.

“We’re trying to be proactive with every government agency before a negative reaction happens. And I think that’s an important piece to this puzzle is that we don’t want somebody taking this into their own hands,” he adds.

CFJC has reached out to the TNRD electoral area director for the Jamieson Creek area, along with BC’s Ministry of Environment for comment.

The province sent back the following statement from the Ministry of Environment and Parks: “In a situation where the public encounter what they think could be pollution, they can reach out to the Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) line: 1-877-952-7277 (RAPP).”