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91ƵI91Ƶll have to go back with a chisel91Ƶ: huge mess at abandoned homeless camp near Big White

Kane Blake said that he isn91Ƶt surprised by anything he finds dumped anymore
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The cleaned up an enormous pile of garbage from the forest near Big White on May 11, and there is still more work to do.

91ƵI will have to go back, probably with a chisel, to get the garbage still frozen to the ground,91Ƶ said Kane Blake.

It took about 10 people, a dump trailer, a stack of garbage bags and a day of hard work to remove most of the junk from the homeless encampment.

He told Capital News that despite the alarming amount of trash found at the site, he was not surprised.

91ƵI91Ƶm more shocked to go down a road and not find garbage than find it.91Ƶ

Over the years Blake said he has found two ATMs, about 2,000 square feet of carpet and underlay, and a full-sized double door fridge.

91ƵI don91Ƶt even know how they got it between some of the trees,91Ƶ he said about the fridge that was found deep in the forest on single-track trails.

Blake said that the and uses every penny they get to buy rakes, shovels and equipment needed to keep the Okanagan91Ƶs backcountry clean.

He said that there has been a definite increase in illegal garbage dumping over the last two years.

91ƵIt91Ƶs slowly filling up our backcountry.91Ƶ

Blake and the other members of the task force are avid outdoorspeople who just want to be in the backcountry.

Unfortunately, to enjoy the pristine wilderness around Kelowna the task force has to dedicate a lot of time to cleaning up the mess others leave behind.

91ƵIt91Ƶs laziness and entitlement,91Ƶ he said.

The fees at the dump are not expensive, he said. If you can afford to renovate your house or buy a new mattress, Blake said that you should be able to afford the inexpensive fees at the dump, especially since illegal dumping that comes with the risk of hefty fines.

91ƵBeing able to go into the backcountry is a privilege, not a right.91Ƶ

READ MORE: Battle to be a Spartan at Big White this summer

READ MORE: Snow expected overnight in mountain passes of Fraser Canyon, Southern Interior



Jacqueline.Gelineau@kelownacapnews.com

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Jacqueline Gelineau

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