Teresa Cowan, owner of Smudge Body Products, and her good friend Greg Balogh, owner of Balogh Electric Ltd., made a presentation to town council Monday informing them of their plans for a community cleanup project in the hills behind Dividend Ridge subdivision on Saturday, April 21. Cowan stands beside one of many huge piles of garbage that have been left over large tracts of land in the popular area used by hikers and ATV enthusiasts. Photo by Keith Lacey.
Two Osoyoos business owners who say they are “disgusted” by the amount of garbage being dumped by residents up in the hills behind one of the town’s most prestigious subdivisions have organized a community cleanup project as part of Earth Day festivities.
Teresa Cowan, owner of Smudge Body Products, and Greg Balogh, owner of Balogh Electric Ltd., have organized a cleanup of the area behind the Dividend Ridge subdivision near the Osoyoos Golf and Country Club for Saturday, April 21.
Numerous local businesses have already jumped on board by donating equipment and manpower for the cleanup event and all members of the community who are interested in cleaning up the area are being invited to participate, Cowan told council.
Cowan said there are huge piles of garbage spread across a large geographic area up in the hills and it bothers her that so many inconsiderate people would be willing to cause pollution to save a few bucks from having to pay tipping fees at the local landfill.
Cowan told councillors she has been hiking in the area behind the golf course for more than 15 years and has never seen the amount of garbage being illegally dumped.
“I’ve been going up there for more than 15 years and it has never been worse,” she said.
It’s not just the odd bottle or container being discarded, but huge stashes of garbage are being dumped in numerous areas, causing an eyesore and she worries the problem is only going to magnify unless something is done, said Cowan.
It’s clear the people who are responsible for illegally dumping trash are doing so without fear of being caught and this has to change, said Cowan.
By holding this community cleanup effort, it will send a clear message to violators that neighbours in the area are noticing the damage being done and are willing to do something to clean it up, which will hopefully detract them from doing it again in the future, she said.
“By cleaning up the desert, we are sending a clear message … that this community considers littering to be a serious crime,” she said.
Cowan urged councillors to revisit current bylaws and dramatically increase the maximum fine for illegal dumping, while asking them to also approve erecting new, large signs in the area which clearly informs everyone illegal dumping won’t be tolerated and anyone caught will be punished to the maximum extent of the law.
She suggested fines increase from a maximum $200 to $2,000 as has been the case in numerous other municipalities across the province.
“I find the current fines quite archaic,” she said. “We need signs up there that people can see and show we mean business … show them we intend to prosecute to the maximum the law allows.”
Coun. Mike Plante said he’s looking forward to participating in the cleanup and recruiting as many people as he can to help on April 21.
Plante said he agreed the current fines for illegal dumping provide very little deterrent and need to increase dramatically.
Coun. C.J. Rhodes said he was shocked when he looked at pictures provided by Cowan at the amount and extent of dumping taking place over a large area of land in the hills behind the golf course. The culprits are “irresponsible people” who have no regard for their neighbours or community, he said.
“I just wish I knew who they were as I would love to confront them,” he said. “Stuff like this disgusts me.”
The amount of community support is already strong with one company having donated a dump truck for the cleanup, said Cowan.
Mayor Stu Wells said he would go as far as to support installing video cameras near the main access road to the hills up behind the subdivision to try and catch those responsible. A large turnout of residents on April 21 would send a clear message the community is upset about this illegal dumping and unnecessary littering and hopefully it leads to current violators thinking twice before they dump trash in the pristine hills surrounding the town, said Wells.
To get as many people out as possible and “try and add some fun to the event”, Cowan and Balogh are encouraging residents to enter a contest to guess how much garbage will be collected during the cleanup.
The winner will receive dinner for two at Terra Fina Restaurant at the Hester Creek Winery, said Cowan. Anyone interested in joining the cleanup is asked to phone Cowan at 250-495-2447 and leave a message about willingness to participate and how many people will be coming out on April 21, so organizers will be able to organize work parties.
