MUCH HAS been written about the Vancouver riots – the damage done and the buildings destroyed.
But the same thing happens in Terrace and outlying areas every year, albeit not nearly as badly or so publicly. Still, the principle is the same.
Every May long weekend there is some kind of damage done to our local campgrounds. Previously pristine areas open to the public for their beautiful vistas end up littered and damaged after groups stay one or two nights. Beverage bottles and cans are left behind, toilet paper left on the ground, and picnic tables and viewpoints damaged and burned.
Camping spots like Exstew have been locked up on May Long because there’s been so much damage. This year, Red Sand was trashed, disrupting campers and families on the first weekend camping holiday.
Most northerners are proud of the area and the beauty in it. Tourists come from near and far to take advantage of campgrounds and park areas. Messy grounds leave a bad stain on our natural assets, and a bad taste in tourists’ mouths.
The damage to our campgrounds may not be as severe as the Vancouver riots, but it still tinges of the same lack of respect to our surroundings.
Everyone is saying “what a shame, we’re so embarrassed, disappointed, and disgusted” about the recent riots.
The shame here is that there’s no game to be angry about, but the destruction still happens anyways.