Squamish is serenity, with a side of trash.
Hike, paddle, climb or ride in any area of Squamish and its beauty and the sense of calm it provides is obvious — it comes from the trees, the ocean views, and the mountain vistas.
Look too closely, just out of the frame of those Instagram and Facebook posts, however, and there is sure to be garbage. A lot of garbage.
Our backcountry, waterways and many trails close to town and hours away are littered with human debris — from rusted barbecues to shotgun shells to dirty diapers and car parts.
The issue isn’t as simple as it may seem. There are jurisdictional and ethical issues to consider.
The so-called abandoned homeless camps, for example, are a complicated problem. Do we vilify and bully the most vulnerable in our community for not being able to afford to live inside? And how do we know when a camp is abandoned or just temporarily vacant? Is it ethically stealing if we take the belongings of someone else because they are on public property?
Most of the trash we see when we head outside is undeniably garbage, not the remnants of someone’s temporary respite, so let’s start with the more obvious.
To be sure, the provincial government needs to step up and put in the infrastructure required to meet the influx of tourists it invites to the corridor and Beautiful B.C. More garbage cans and washrooms should be installed, for example.
Mayor Patricia Heintzman recently told The Chief there are outhouses in some areas that used to service about 100 people a week and now are servicing over 1,000 per week, “and they don’t have any more toilets for people, same with garbage bins.”
Of course, this isn’t a new problem. In our newsroom, we are as sick of writing about this issue as readers likely are of reading about it. So let’s do something about it. Together.
When you head out this weekend take two clear garbage bags and fill them up — wear proper gloves or use a picker — and bring them out. Take a picture of your haul and tell us where you found it. Send it to news@squamishchief.com.
If you 4 X 4 locally, take three bags — you will likely need more — bring what you collect out with you and let us see your stash.
Yes, it would be great if government at all levels was out there doing this for us, but that isn’t happening fast enough or often enough to keep up.
And we shouldn’t depend on the government to fix everything, anyway.
We are citizens of this place — we can do our part.
