It seems we have an angel of the outdoors among us.
A member of the Chemainus Rod and Gun Club, who wishes to remain anonymous, is being credited for organizing the clean-up of a huge pile of garbage on Mount Sicker that left people disgusted across Chemainus and beyond.
Three massive piles of garbage — apparently the contents of an abandoned or evicted rental home — were dumped at three separate rural Mount Sicker locations in mid-February by what appeared to be a commercial truck.
The incident sparked outrage, and apparently action, as an army of volunteers was rallied to clean up the mess.
The effort wasn’t anything unusual for the club, which has spent countless volunteer hours over the years working with the Ladysmith Sportsmen’s Club to keep the Ladysmith-Chemainus area wilderness clean.
“Wilderness will not stay wilderness if there is garbage from one end to the other,” Chemainus Rod and Gun Club president John Holmes said in a media release from North Cowichan, pointing out how children are frequently included in the clean-up effort to help instill the value of a pristine wilderness.
North Cowichan, owner of the land targeted by this incident is certainly appreciative of the effort
“North Cowichan has greatly benefited from this value.The Chemainus Rod and Gun Club’s recent clean-up was an incredible effort,”said North Cowichan’s chief forester Darrell Frank.
“I understand it took a lot of people and several trucks to move everything, and I know it’s not the first time they have made this kind of effort. It’s unfortunate that illegal dumping takes place, and we are very grateful for the clean-up.”
He encourages anyone who has witnessed illegal dumping to report it to the municipality at 250-746-3106.