Hundreds of rusty nails laying scattered on the sand is not something anyone with dogs or children wants to have to worry about, but increasingly, that is the case on some Powell River beaches.
Connie Kucharsky and her dog Saber, a golden retriever-husky cross, recently discovered what turned out to be more than three pounds of beach hazards on what is known as First Beach, just down from Catalyst Paper Corporation’s log sort.
“Walking along the sand at the high tide line, I did notice a few rusty nails, and then later a lot more,” said Kucharsky.
It was before the last spell of storms and she could make out at least two locations beach fires had been, and one was even burning some of the larger driftwood logs washed up on the beach.
“I started sifting through and grabbing handfuls of rusty nails and then I realized they were all under the sand as well,” she said. In all, Kucharsky spent about an hour cleaning up someone else’s mess.
“I don’t think it’s a mistake. It’s a choice. It’s just a disregard for common sense,” she said. “People need to be more aware about how their choices impact others.”
She said the rusty nails, which looked like they could be from wooden pallets being burned on the beach, pose a risk for anyone with small children or dogs and also for swimmers who could easily cut their feet.
While Kucharsky and Saber visit the beach once in a while, Terry Powell, a resident of Townsite, and his dog Lucy are regulars at the beach, coming down on the a few times every day for walks and recently, beach cleanups.
“There’s a lot of history down here and it’s always been a nice spot, but it’s getting worse all the time,” said Powell.
Over the years Powell has watched as sand on the beach has built up, the result of the paper mill’s clarifier, located just up the hill from the beach and old golf course. “It makes the beach more popular than other gravel beaches in the area,” he said.
Powell said it does not bother him that local youth are coming down to the beach for parties; what irks him is when they make a mess and don’t clean up after themselves.
He said it’s common for him to do regular morning cleanups of the beach and nails on the beach are common from pallet bonfires, but he also finds lots of garbage and the occasional chainsaw that’s been tossed in. “I just don’t understand stupidity and that’s exactly what it is,” he said.
Powell, who lives just up the hill from the beach, said during the winter he does not care whether people want to have fires because the wildfire hazard is so low, so long as they do not mess the beach up, but in the summer they should not be having fires at all.
“All it takes is for the fire to jump that road and we’re in trouble up there,” he said.
According to Terry Peters, deputy fire chief for Powell River Fire Rescue, beach fires within city boundaries are completely prohibited.
The fire department is aware this activity does happen, and go down to have the fire extinguished when they are called, but like other city bylaw enforcement, much is complaint-driven, he said.
“If you don’t have a permit you can’t do any kind of burning,” said Peters. “It’s totally illegal, not to mention irresponsible. It’s also hazardous for other people who are using the beaches.”
Peters explained that the city does not have a fire prevention officer, someone who is charged with enforcing the city’s burning restrictions, but the duties are shared across department.
“We do the best we can with the resources we have,” said Peters. “Of course, if there’s a complaint about a fire on a beach we respond.”
Peters said when someone does come down to ask that a fire be extinguished, more often than not the people follow the rules.
“Most people are pretty good about that,” he said, “although if they don’t comply they could be ticketed as per city bylaws.”
Fines range up to $2,000 for bylaw infractions and BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations enforcement officers could also levy provincial fines for illegal fires.
“Everyone standing around that fire can be charged,” said Peters.
Anyone found to be responsible for causing a wildfire can be held liable to pay for the entire costs of extinguishing it.
