Image Credit: Penticton Indian Band
May 02, 2025 - 1:31 PM
People have been trespassing on reserve lands near last month's Trout Creek landslide and local governments are trying to warn people to stay away since the ground is unstable.
Penticton Indian Band (snpink’tn), City of Penticton and the District of Summerland are trying to get people to stay off the area at Trout Creek near the Summerland Golf and Country Club, according to a joint media release issued today, May 2.
The area is being monitored since the unstable terrain is dangerous and people are ignoring warnings. The band has installed fences, caution signs and tape but people are vandalizing or removing the warnings. The band said it’s not only reckless and disrespectful, it’s illegal.
“Our community is deeply angered by the ongoing illegal trespassing and vandalism of protective measures in this landslide zone,” snpink’tn Chief Greg Gabriel said in the release. “This is not just a matter of jurisdiction — it’s a matter of safety and respect.
"We are doing everything in our power to prevent injury or loss of life. We ask the public to honour our land and our warnings. This is not a place for recreation or sightseeing. It is a dangerous, unstable zone.”
READ MORE: iN PHOTOS: Captures show human, natural contrast in Kamloops, Okanagan
The band installed surveillance cameras and the RCMP are helping with enforcement. Anyone caught trespassing or vandalizing warning signs and fences could be hit with fines, vehicle impoundment and legal action.
“Public safety is a shared responsibility,” Summerland mayor Doug Holmes said in the release. “We stand with the snpink’tn condemning the destruction of safety infrastructure. This behaviour must stop immediately. We urge everyone to respect posted boundaries and understand that entering this site is not only dangerous, it is against the law.”
Penticton mayor Julius Bloomfield said people ought to think about not only the legal risk but the physical danger of trespassing on these reserve lands.
“The City of Penticton fully supports our neighbours at snpink’tn and the District of Summerland in protecting the public and upholding the law,” added Mayor Julius Bloomfield of Penticton. “This is a serious situation. We urge people to think not just about themselves, but about the emergency responders, the community, and the broader public when they ignore safety signs. We are asking — and expecting — full cooperation.”
To contact a reporter for this story, email Jesse Tomas or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw. Find our Journalism Ethics policy here.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here.
News from © iNFOnews, 2025