Swimming at Silver Springs truly takes your breath away. Immersing yourself in the beauty of the natural scenery is beyond amazing. That is until you swim directly into a cigarette butt or an empty beer can.
This past week, I spent my Sunday at Silver Springs and encountered an abundance of litter. Luckily, visitors recovered the garbage from the water, but I find it appalling that others would treat such a beautiful piece of land as their own personal dumping ground.
Now that the weather is warm, visitors are going to be frequenting Silver Springs weekend after weekend and it’s important that individuals keep the land clean so that everyone can enjoy it. There’s nothing more frustrating than being interrupted from enjoying breathtaking views by a floating beer can or cigarette butt. Not only is it unsightly but leaving litter could also attract wildlife. It’s your responsibility to clean up after yourself and it’s unfair to assume that others will pick up after you.
For many, Silver Springs is seen as a small paradise just 20 minutes outside of Fernie and it’s important that it remains that way.
Having a cottage up in Muskoka, ON, I know what it’s like to want to preserve a beautiful paradise. I couldn’t imagine having to pick up after my friends and I’m grateful that I never had to. Like myself, my friends also saw Muskoka as a picturesque getaway, and they treated it with as much respect as the locals would.
Silver Springs shouldn’t be any different. Whether you’re a visitor passing through the area or a local, you have as much responsibility to keep the area clean as anybody.
Recently Silver Springs was proposed as a provincial park. If Silver Springs did end up turning into a provincial park, more and more people would begin to access it and this could result in a major littering issue.
It’s important that we nip this issue in the bud before it gets worse. Perhaps “no littering” signage in that area would help. For many this kind of signage is unnecessary, but clearly some individuals need reminding.