Image: Hope Community Cleanup Society and 4x4 Women Association of B.C.

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Jones Lake

Abandoned homeless camp removed from Jones Lake as volunteers remove trailers full of trash

Nov 12, 2025 | 6:57 AM

JONES LAKE — Volunteers from the Hope Community Cleanup Society tag teamed with the BC 4×4 Women Association to remove a multitude of trash and other rubbish from Jones Lake last weekend, including the remnants of an abandoned homeless camp.

Ryan Smith from the cleanup society told Fraser Valley Today that over 20 volunteers teamed up to clean up Jones Lake, located east of Chilliwack, resulting in two trailer loads and three pickup loads of garbage being removed.

“What a great turnout!” Smith said. “We had more than 20 volunteers out thanks to the women of the 4WDABC who were great in collaborating with us for this cleanup,” Smith said. “We were able to take two trailer loads and three pickup loads out. What a fantastic job done by all. Special thanks to Emil Anderson for helping us dispose of it all.”

Image: Contributed

Smith said volunteers hauled away a significant amount of garbage, some of which came from an abandoned encampment that the Jones Lake on-site caretakers had disassembled and moved to the road for them.

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“That filled almost a whole trailer on its own,” he said. “The rest of the trash came from abandoned tents and folding structures, tarps and other abandoned camping equipment. Then just bags and bags of trash. I picked up multiple bags that had been drug up through the bush by the bears. There turned out to be
lot more than I originally thought was there.”

Image: Contributed / Rubbish removal.

Smith thanked the women from the 4×4 association and Emil Anderson for making the cleanup effort possible.

“The women of the 4X4 Association were amazing,” he said. “We coordinated on this year’s cleanup, and they really brought the muscle. They were great to work with. It was a fantastic effort, and of course, Emil Anderson was great in supporting our efforts.”