Clean post RV encampment

A number of locals and a contractor hired by the province have been cleaning Osoyoos' West Bench, following the closure of a longstanding RV encampment in October.

As of Wednesday, much of the site was cleared.

The area is popular among residents who frequent the area for recreation. It is also one of Canada's most endangered ecosystems, according to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.

Earlier in September, an Osoyoos resident shared a video of the site littered with piles of trash and abandoned belongings.

According to residents in the nearby Dividend Ridge subdivision, the remaining mess amounts to roughly three or four garbage bags; a mere fraction of what it was.

In October, new campers were reportedly on site, despite previous free camping listings on websites like Campendium and iOverlander being removed since Castanet's coverage in June.

To deter squatters, the Ministry of Natural Resources will be installing at least one gate to the West Bench entrance at Dividend Ridge. Another gate could potentially go up on the second entrance.

Some locals will be returning the first week of November to clear any remaining trash.