Image: Supplied by Streams Canada Foundation / Volunteers mobilized Thursday (Dec. 29) to dismantle and clean up an abandoned homeless encampment along Chilliwack Lake Road, about 4.5 kilometres east of the Tamihi Rapids bridge. Wayne Furness was instrumental in Thursday's cleanup efforts. The dump has been largely razed and disassembled.

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Homeless encampment cleanup

Chilliwack residents take action to clear homeless encampment Thursday along Chilliwack River

Dec 29, 2022 | 8:37 PM

CHILLIWACK — It took a lot of lobbying and impassioned communication behind the scenes, but Chilliwack-area residents coalesced together to take down an environmental eyesore deep in the Chilliwack River Valley Thursday (Dec. 29).

According to Ross Aikenhead, a volunteer with the Chilliwack/Vedder River Society, groups of volunteers dismantled an abandoned homeless encampment approximately 4.5 kilometres east of the Tamihi Rapids bridge.

Aikenhead said he arrived at about 9 a.m. Thursday morning and left around 3:30 p.m., but not before the RV, motorhome, and utility trailer from the camp were removed and hauled away thanks to countless, determined volunteers.

“Almost everything is gone including the RV, motorhome and utility trailer,” Aikenhead said. “Just two dump trailer loads left, one garbage and one metal. I think it was one 20-yard bin and five dump trailer loads of garbage and one load of metal today.”

Pictures posted on social media depict an excavator in the background as well as several volunteers getting their hands dirty. Aikenhead specifically acknowledged the work of Wayne Furness, an agreement holder who is tasked with managing all recreation sites in the Chilliwack River Valley for the Ministry of Forests, including Thurston Meadows.

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“The real person who was responsible for most of the work today was Wayne with his equipment,” Aikenhead pointed out. “Streams and several other volunteers made the day.”

Patti MacAhonic from the Fraser Valley Regional District board of directors, Electoral Area E, was present during the mass extrication, since she represents Chilliwack River Valley residents on the regional board.

Streams Canada Foundation, a volunteer-based, non-profit organization working in Chilliwack, had several of its volunteers there to help with cleanup efforts.

Image: Streams Canada Foundation / Several Streams Canada Foundation members from Chilliwack pitched in today to assist.

“Thank you for taking this initiative [Ross] Aikenhead,” Streams Canada Foundation wrote on Facebook. “You took the initiative to do something about it and inspired others to join. Also, thanks to Chilliwack Cleanup, Patti MacAhonic, B.C. Government, and all the other volunteers and Streams team members that showed up for clean up.”

by Mike Vanden Bosch

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Chilliwack residents take action to clear homeless encampment Thursday along Chilliwack River

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