The Ministry of Forest, Lands and Natural Resources Operations evicted a person who was given a trespass notice for squatting on Crown land on Silver Skagit Road about 15 kilometres in.
But that person left a mess, to which seven Lions Club members and two Albertans chipped in to clean up.
“It was a shame that it was a bit of a mess,” said Club president Scott Medlock. “They removed a vast majority of their belongings, but they left a small amount of debris, and had built an outhouse structure.”
Medlock said the MFLNRO, however, could not provide any assistance to the clean up efforts, and reached out to the Lions Club.
“They said, “Our agency has no budget or resources for further clean up action at the site,' ” said Medlock.
The seven people met two Albertans camping there, who decided to join in. Medlock noted their clean up efforts were immensely helped by Tri-West Contracting's Jim Lasser, who offered the use of his dump truck and backhoe.
The mess that squatter left included an outhouse with a porcelain toilet, metal pieces and roofing, windows, mirrors, rope and broken glass.
Medlock suspected the squatter lived in a vehicle, most likely an RV.
“They must have had a some sort of a vehicle. I didn't see them. They were already gone by the time by the time we got up there,” said Medlock. “But it's a large site and there would have been room for a couple or three vehicles for sure.”
Medlock also added that there was another squatter when he went last Wednesday, who left a significant mess too.
But he revisited last Friday and found that squatter had vacated, and left no trace.
“Our plan, when we went up to do the clean up, was to clean up that site as well, but it had already been cleaned up,” said Medlock.