Sicamous’ mayor and council didn’t mince words when it came to expressing their disappointment with truckers littering on public property around the local truck stop.
Concerns over repeated littering and illegal parking by the Sicamous Husky Travel Center were raised during council’s meeting on March 23.
“We got a lot of support for the truckers through COVID and the rest of it, but they’re still pigs; that’s the truth of it…,” said Coun. Jeff Mallmes. “They go there to use the washroom and the shower and the rest of it. They kick their stuff out the door, they don’t take it with them to put it in a proper garbage receptacle, and the guy that owns the Husky, you’ve got to write him up 15 times before he actually cleans it up.”
Coun. Gord Bushell initiated the conversation. He’d visited the area after it had been cleaned by local youth, Savannah and Serge Magee, and was disappointed to find more garbage in ditches and elsewhere.
“I just think we have to somehow stop those guys from dumping garbage,” said Bushell, focusing in particular on the road off of Highway 1 that turns left onto Husky Frontage Road and continues into Maier Road.
“It’s an actual public road, and you have to go park in the Husky parking lot, you can’t park on the road, and these guys are parking there and the road has just deteriorated on both sides…,” said Bushell, who suggested placing dividers or painting lines as a possible deterrent. “We need to somehow force that owner to put some garbage cans.”
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Coun. Colleen Anderson suggested no littering signs be put up in the area. Mallmes referred to a photo included with the council agenda of two trucks parked facing the wrong way on the district road by the Husky, and said there are already no parking signs there. He suggested the district’s bylaw officer should focus on the area and issue fines as required.
“That should be his full-time job for the next two weeks,” said Mallmes. “Every time they throw something out the door you should write them a $1,000 ticket.”
Mayor Terry Rysz said the problem has existed for a long time and the district hasn’t been able to come up with a solution for it.
“We have to get somewhat serious about getting a solution in place, whether it’s fines or whatever, we have to send a message…,” said Rysz. “We’ve had this dance for some time now and we’ve got to figure it out and how we’re going to police this because that is totally unacceptable. That’s the entrance of our town and it’s also having a big impact on the Eagle River Golf Course.”
Council asked that staff report back with possible solutions, and that the district write letters to the Husky property owner and Esso.
“We need to keep putting it in writing to them and maybe we threaten them that we’re going to close this road,” said Bushell. “It really has no function… It’s only really to the Husky.”
The full council meeting can be viewed on the District of Sicamous’ YouTube channel.
lachlan@saobserver.net
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