By Lyonel Doherty
Town council has decided not to put such a damper on campgrounds when it comes to fire pits.
Instead of one wood-burning pit per campground, it will allow one pit per 25 sites. For example, a campground with 75 sites can have three campfires.
On Monday, council approved Fire Control Bylaw 1369 that included a section covering campfires. In addition to changing how many fire pits a campground can have, council changed the setback (how far campfires have to be from properties and buildings) to 10 metres from five.
Councillor Petra Veintimilla reiterated her concern about the previous staff recommendation that campgrounds only be allowed to have one fire pit. She stated that some campgrounds have many sites and that one pit wasn’t enough. So she suggested one pit per 25 sites.
For example, she noted that The Lakeside Resort has 65 sites, so it can have two pits under the new bylaw.
Councillor Larry Schwartzenberger agreed, saying it was a “little onerous” to only be allowed one pit for an entire campground.
Schwartzenberger suggested the setback be changed from five to 10 metres.
Mayor Ron Hovanes said allowing two pits at Lakeside would not make a big difference as far as drifting smoke was concerned.
Councillor Maureen Doerr was the only member of council who voted against changing the rule. She previously stated her concern about smoke impacting nearby residents.
In a letter to council, Paul Bouchard from The Lakeside Resort said any complaints about smoke from the campground are, in some cases, unverified or unverifiable, while others are “entirely false.”
Bouchard said not a single wood campfire has burned at Lakeside since former fire chief Dan Skaros imposed the ban in the summer of 2015.
“I don’t know how many disparate ‘officials’ have hovered over our resort this year, chasing ghosts and never thinking to include me in any of their queries, only my poor front-line staff,” Bouchard said.
He pointed out that Lakeside represents a significant input into Oliver’s economy, including considerably higher tax mill rates submitted to the Town.
