Sts’ailes responds to campground and rec site closures, faults province

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However, the band lamented the lack of tangible support from the province, saying the government has not paid for basic essentials and repairs, leaving them on the hook to pay for unfunded mandates.

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“Unfortunately, during our time managing recreational sites within our territory, we have had almost no support from Provincial Rec Sites & Trails. There have been years when the Province refused to pay for outhouse pumping, road repairs, replace picnic tables, firepits, or maintain trails and docks,” Sts’ailes said. “Sts’ailes and our management team are forced to cover these expenses. Without our ongoing financial support, it would have been necessary to close all the recreation sites years ago. Sts’ailes has sent countless emails, letters, and held dozens of meetings with provincial staff to address these ongoing issues with no result. Sts’ailes and our management team assume all the costs of maintaining and operating these recreation sites. It is essential that these sites remain open to collect the camping fees to offset the costs of the maintenance.”

The band pointed out that it keeps the Chehalis River and Grace Lake campgrounds open year-round, while Weaver Lake opens on March 15 every year and has for the past 15 years. The Wood Lake and Twenty Mile Bay sites open each year on May 1.

This year, Sts’ailes reminded RSTBC staff to arrange danger tree assessments (an annual occurrence) and felling, if necessary, early on so as to lessen the collective inconvenience for everyone involved, including the band and campers alike.

“For liability reasons, this is the one aspect of recreation site management that RSTBC has not off-loaded to Sts’ailes, so we are completely reliant on the Province to work with us in good-faith and communicate any concerns,” Sts’ailes pointed out. “The decision by the Province to wait until now—when the camping season is well underway—to inform us that it identified trees that could be dangerous is deeply concerning, frustrating, and costly. As of today, we have not yet heard from the RSTBC regarding when the identified “danger trees” might be cut and removed.”

Sts’ailes says it is working toward a goal of reopening the recreation sites as soon as it is able. Not only is it financially costly to the band, it says it has been harshly critiqued on social media.

“Every day the sites remain closed, we lose money, and we have been the focus of disparaging comments on social media. Eventually, we will lose our hardworking campground hosts, which further jeopardizes our ability to continue hosting recreation in our territory,” the band said. “We are deeply sorry for the inconvenience that campers have experienced. We share your frustration and encourage people to write letters to the BC Government or local MLA to express your concerns over the inadequate investment being made in the west Harrison Recreation sites.”