Lac du Bois/Batchelor Heights Trash Bash, Kamloops 
Sunday, 26 April 2009 

Thanks to the more than 300 volunteers who showed up to lend a hand in removing more than eight tonnes of illegally dumped garbage from the Lac Du Bois grasslands just north of Bachelor Heights, Kamloops, the grasslands now almost shine. Volunteers joined the Friends of Lac Du Bois on Sunday April 26th, 2009 from 10am to 3pm to clean up the grasslands. In all, more than 30 community groups, companies and government agencies helped organize the smoothly run celebration of the grasslands.

While the main event took place on Sunday, volunteers and workers were in the area for several days leading up to the event, removing larger items like concrete and appliances. In addition to the six 1-800-GOT-JUNK dump truck loads removed on Sunday, Argo Road Maintenance and Twin Valley Contracting collectively removed more than 200 tonnes of trash from the grasslands to help relieve the residential volunteers from a daunting work load.

“Why can’t people take their garbage where it belongs?” asked concerned resident Sandie Smedley, who lives in the Brocklehurst area. “It’s free to take things like tires, yard waste, and appliances to the landfills [although there is a $10 charge for items containing Freon such as fridges, freezers, and air conditioners]. I just don’t understand why people feel the need to dump garbage places as beautiful as this. It spoils it for everyone else.”

Grasslands play a vital role to species at risk, ranchers, recreationists and the general population through their water filtration ability. To help keep the area clean and encourage people to report illegal dumping activity, seven signs were erected at dumping hotspots with messages to Keep the Grasslands Clean and Report All Poachers and Polluters. City bylaw officers and conservation officers will be keeping a close watch on the area - so dumpers beware!

Friends of Lac du Bois’ 2009 Trash Bash include: 

• 1-800-GOT-JUNK?
• A&W
• Argo Road Maintenance
• City of Kamloops
• Cooper’s Foods
• Delta Waterfowl
• Dominic’s Marine
• Dual Sport BC
• Ducks Unlimited Canada
• Grasslands Conservation Council of British Columbia
• Greater Kamloops ATV Association
• Home Hardware 
• Investors Group
• Kamloops and District Fish and Game Association
• Kamloops Daily News
• Kamloops Indian Band
• Kamloops Naturalist Club
• Kamloops Search and Rescue
• Kamloops This Week
• Kemp Concrete Products
• Kinder Morgan Canada
• Local Residents
• Nature Conservancy of Canada
• Province of British Columbia
• Purity Feed
• RONA
• Thompson-Nicola Regional District
• Tim Hortons
• Tranquille Livestock Association
• Twin Valley Contracting
• Volunteer Kamloops
• Wilderness Watch

Reminder: Illegal dumping can result in a fine of up to $2,000. For a list of legal landfills within Kamloops, please go to www.city.kamloops.bc.ca/garbage/landfills.shtml