Guilty until proven innocent? — 5000 checked for compliance on long weekend

Since ShuNews published an article about the alcohol ban in the national parks campgrounds over the Victoria Day weekend, we received many comments. Whether they were from disgruntled campers or people who were concerned about the insidious encroachment upon our rights and freedoms, our readers had opinions about the issue.

We received a media release from the Ministry of the Environment this week, reporting the results of the weekend ban on booze so we thought you might like to hear what The Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Forests and Range, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts and the RCMP who were patrolling recreation sites and forest service roads, concluded about their weekend.

Environment Minister Barry Penner says, “The multi-agency compliance blitz conducted over the May long weekend resulted in numerous warnings and tickets being issued but the majority of recreational enthusiasts were found to be in compliance with public safety and environmental regulations … I’m pleased most people were found in compliance during the long weekend blitz….”

Officers checked for compliance with public safety and environmental regulations in relation to off-road vehicle use (ATVs, 4X4s, dirt-bikes), camping, boating and fishing. Recreation sites with a history of problems were targeted for extra enforcement.

Over four days, officers conducted checks in more than 150 recreation sites across B.C. More than 5,000 people were checked for compliance, with 88 per cent of those checked found to be in compliance. In total, 339 warnings were issued and 110 tickets were given out. Some examples of non-compliance included operating a motor vehicle while impaired, open liquor in a vehicle, mud bogging, and contravention of campfire burning restrictions.