Hiker set to clear garbage from trail

An old trail used by fur traders and Indigenous people has become a favourite dumping ground for people too cheap to pay tipping fees at landfills.

Piles of household garbage and construction site debris litter the Fur Brigade Trail between Peachland and Summerland, an avid hiker says.

But Al Withers isn’t just decrying the mess — he’s doing something about it.

This weekend, Withers and his brother will clean up the worst of the garbage. Withers has been given permission by his employer, BC Hydro, to use a utility vehicle and trailer to haul out the trash.

“It’s just terrible what’s in there,” Withers said Thursday. “It looks like most of the stuff has been dumped there by people who just won’t pay the fees at the landfills.”

The Fur Brigade Trail was opened up by traders, following ancient paths used by Indigenous people, in the early 1800s. The trail was used to transport furs and trade goods between early settlements on the Pacific Coast and the interior of what would become British Columbia.

Efforts are underway to improve a rough, 3.5-kilometre-long section between Hardy Falls Regional Park in Peachland and Garnet Valley Road in Summerland into a hiking and cycling path. It could become a linear park in the future.

Experienced outdoor enthusiasts like Withers do currently use the trail, though it’s not recommended for winter travel.