An Enderby man who spent five years as a campground host says he got out of the work because of a troubling increase in abusive and threatening behaviour by campers.
Rene Pothier says he once had a crossbow pointed at him in a case that is still before the courts.
Pothier was reacting to the recent story of campground hosts at the Evely recreation site whose RV was destroyed in an arson fire – and says it was "inevitable something like this would eventually happen."
Pothier and his wife served as camp hosts at multiple BC Parks and Trails and Recreation BC sites across the province and says he didn't return to the work "because I knew something was going to happen."
The Evely site on the Westside of Okanagan Lake was among those he worked at.
"It came as no surprise to me," he said of the arson fire, which remains under investigation by police.
Pothier had the crossbow pointed at him at the Tamihi Creek recreation site near Chilliwack.
He says the behaviour of a small minority of campers has continued to get worse in recent years.
Typically, they will get rowdy or be partying late into the night, but when camp hosts attempt to put a lid on things, "there is no support" to back them up, and situations often escalate.
"They want us to somehow educate these campers, but there is no support, no protection ... They know we have no authority to back it up."
In one incident, an adult male tried to start a fight with a minor before police were called. But even police have no authority to remove people from the campground without written orders from the camps supervisor, who is typically a contractor nowhere near the campground.
In several other incidents, Pothier and his wife locked themselves in their RV to avoid violent confrontations.
"When people are allowed to act a certain way with no consequences, it normalizes that behaviour," he says.
Pothier would like to see hosts have the authority to issue eviction notices that police could enforce on the spot.
Without any teeth to campground rules, he says hosts "are almost expected to take it and just let people blow off steam because they are on vacation."
He says there are often multiple levels of contractors before the hosts on the ground, and "nobody claims responsibility."
He has raised the issue before, and says he "took a break" from hosting because it's no longer "worth it."
He says his wife once had a medical bag similar to a colostomy bag thrown at her ... "with fluid in it."
"Contractors sub it out and don't see what goes on," he says.
Pothier says he has "absolutely" felt unsafe, but the offenders "look at it as a big joke when they give the hosts a hard time."
Situations often begin with such simple incidents as being late to check out, but after repeated warnings to vacate the site because new campers may be coming, sometimes the responses become threatening.
In one incident at Morton Lake Provincial Park on Vancouver Island, "something just switched, and the camper became verbally abusive."
He says a large park may have as many as 1,000 people flow in and out over a weekend, and the percentage of those who cause problems is still low, "but every weekend, somebody gets ridiculous."
In a statement, the Ministry of Environment, which oversees BC Parks and Trails and Rec BC, said:
"Everyone has the right to expect a safe, welcoming and respectful experience whether in our recreation sites or provincial parks. The incidents ... are troubling and no one should have to face confrontations in our parks or recreation sites. Anyone facing such threats should contact the RCMP or the Conservation Officer Service immediately for further action."
The ministry says it has "zero tolerance" for such incidents, and failure to comply with regulations may result in fines, cancellation of camping permits or reservations and/or eviction from the recreation site or park.
B.C.'s Campers Code and Recreation Sites and Trails' Know the Rules page have more information about responsible camping.
