Defiance in the Wilderness: Five Charged for Breaching BC Park Closures During Pandemic

In a time when public health was paramount and communities grappled with unprecedented restrictions, a stark reminder of defiance emerged from the serene landscapes of British Columbia's provincial parks. Five individuals found themselves on the wrong side of the law, charged for brazenly disregarding crucial park closures enacted to protect the public during the escalating COVID-19 pandemic.

The incident unfolded on April 10, 2020, within the majestic Golden Ears Provincial Park.

Despite explicit warnings and prominent signage, these five individuals ventured onto the West Canyon Trail, a popular route that, like many others across the province, had been temporarily shut down to curb the spread of the virus. Their actions were not only a breach of public safety guidelines but a direct challenge to the efforts of frontline workers and health officials.

The consequences were swift and significant.

The BC Conservation Officer Service, tasked with enforcing these vital regulations, stepped in. Each of the five individuals was charged under Section 45 of the Park Act for disobeying a park closure. The penalty for such a violation is a hefty $230 fine per person, a clear message that such disregard for public health orders would not be tolerated.

This incident at Golden Ears was far from isolated.

Across British Columbia, conservation officers and park authorities were stretched thin, grappling with a worrying trend of non-compliance. Just days prior, three snowshoers were fined $230 each for trespassing at Cypress Provincial Park, another popular outdoor destination placed under essential closure.

Similar reports surfaced from the Sky Pilot trail in Squamish, where individuals blatantly ignored closure signs, and from Buntzen Lake in Coquitlam, where fences and barriers were jumped, all in defiance of public health directives.

The closures of provincial parks and protected areas were not arbitrary.

They were a critical component of the province's strategy to "flatten the curve," minimizing the risk of transmission in often crowded outdoor spaces and ensuring the safety of visitors and staff alike. Authorities emphasized that these measures were in place to protect everyone, including vulnerable populations, and to alleviate pressure on emergency services.

Conservation officers underscored the seriousness of the situation, reiterating that violations could lead to not only fines but also eviction from parks, and in severe cases, even arrest.

Their message was unequivocal: "Please follow the provincial health orders and stay home. Respect front line workers, health care providers and essential service workers and obey park closures. This is not the time to be breaking rules and putting others at risk." The collective well-being of the community hinged on individual responsibility, a principle that, for these five, unfortunately, seemed to have been overlooked.