Ministry of Transportation monitoring safety situation at Swan Lake homeless camps

Photo: BX-Swan Lake FD

As pressure builds to do something about homeless camps along Swan Lake and their pollution of the nature reserve there, another land owner says it is monitoring the situation.

The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure says it is aware of encampments in the area from the overpass at the north end of Vernon to the area around the weigh scales – including some on ministry land.

Recent fires and garbage accumulation have been on Nature Trust of BC land within the Swan Lake Nature Reserve.

Confusing the matter is that the area consists of land owned by multiple parties, including the City of Vernon, Regional District of North Okanagan, CN Rail, provincial government, and nature trust.

The reserve itself is managed by the RDNO.

“The ministry is continuing to monitor the situation to ensure there are no immediate safety concerns for the travelling public or members of the encampment,” a spokesperson said in an email.

“Outreach staff and community partners are in contact with people in the encampment.”

The ministry did not say if any cleanup efforts are currently planned for the area.

The stretch of camps has recently come under fire for being an “absolute hazmat dump.”

BX-Swan Lake Fire Chief Bill Wacey said he’s concerned for the safety of his men in the “deplorable conditions.”

This is not the first time garbage has been considered an issue along the corridor.

In March of this year, animal expert Pete Wise sounded the alarm over garbage piling up, citing concern over wildlife becoming accustomed to the easy food source and being killed by it.

CN Rail conducted a cleanup along the tracks a few months later, despite the rail company maintaining the camps are not on its land.

The Nature Trust of BC has said plans are being made to clean up its parcel, where the majority of garbage and fire issues have been over the last few months.