Skip to content

Conservation service and RCMP busy in the Sea to Sky over the long weekend

Not as much traffic as previous weekends, says RCMP
Conservation Officers Service

Officers with Sea to Sky Conservation and Squamish RCMP were busy over the long weekend.

Conservation officers patrolled recreation sites and Provincial Parks as well as Howe Sound by boat.

Sgt. Simon Gravel told The Chief that 37 violation and 16 warning tickets were handed out.

"The big one was really the failure to comply with occupation — people were continuing to camp at rec sites despite the signage and all the media," he said, adding most of those ticketed were from out of town.

"So they would not fall under essential travel."

Offences mainly fell under the Forest Recreation Regulation and The Park, Conservancy, and Recreation Area regulations, he added.

Tickets included being in Shannon Falls Provincial Park, which was closed and had signage to that effect, Gravel said.

"We also issued a few fines under the Off-Road Vehicle Regulation, the Liquor control and licensing Act and the Small Vessel Regulation," he said.

Officers handed out tickets to riders for not having the proper permit or insurance. Others received tickets for having open liquor. Crab fishers were ticketed at Porteau Cove and anglers at Browning Lake in Murrin Provincial Park, for not having a valid licence.

Conservation and RCMP worked together on some of the enforcement, Gravel said.

Seasonal-shift RCMP officers distributed 17 violation tickets/written warnings and 45 verbal warnings.

This does not include frontline members' tickets, just those on seasonal shifts, according to Sgt. Sascha Banks.

Banks said overall, the weekend saw low traffic volume and fewer visitors than weekends before, possibly due to the weather, she said.

Officers patrolled up and down the entire Sea to Sky.

Patrols included Fisherman's Park, Brohm Lake, Alice Lake, Tantalus Ridge Lookout, Brunswick Beach Park, Britannia Beach oceanfront, Mamquam Ring Creek Road and Paradise Valley, to name just a few.

"I'm not sure the violation tickets and warning stats provide an accurate picture of all that was done over the weekend," she said. "As I am aware of a co-ordinated approach between ourselves, [Fisheries and Oceans Canada], BC Parks, and COS and it's much more than tickets. We provide presence, education, connect with the tourists in the community, speak with the local residents and are able to provide an accurate picture of the population in the area."

conservation officers service
Source: Courtesy Conservation Officers Service
push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks