SUNDRE — The most serious calls dealt with by authorities over the Victoria Day May long weekend were conflicts over Crown land camping spots and a quad rollover in the backcountry.
But otherwise, local emergency services reported a largely safe and quiet kickoff to the camping season in which there were no major crashes or deaths.
“Our long weekend actually started earlier,” said the Sundre RCMP detachment’s Cpl. Resus Organ, adding the department started receiving complaints earlier in the week leading up to Friday, May 20.
The corporal was referring to a successful search and rescue operation in which a camper who had strayed from his site was eventually found alive following a coordinated effort involving helicopters.
As the long weekend got closer, Organ said, “We started getting complaints from the public saying that people are camping in my spots.”
The local RCMP were also partnering up with other agencies, including Fish and Wildlife as well as Conservation and peace officers, to conduct check stops and patrols to as much as possible establish a visible police presence.
“There was a ton of enforcement out there,” he said. “We were out there just driving around and talking with campers and recreational vehicle users.”
And despite an Innisfail man who sustained non-life threatening injuries when he on Saturday, May 21 rolled a quad after losing control while stunting, as well as an alcohol-fuelled altercation between a couple of friends who patched things up the next day, people seemed to have played safe with no fatalities reported, he said.
“Again for the second year in a row, we didn’t lose anybody. So, it was good weekend,” he said.
Out of the 23 complaints the Sundre RCMP received over the long weekend and the days leading up to it, 15 were related to the West Country, the corporal said.
“Our last call really for any kind of service was Saturday night,” he said. “We didn’t get another complaint for the West Country on Sunday or Monday.”
The corporal also speculated that a combination of cooler weather and high prices at the pumps might have also kept the crowds down a bit.
“There wasn’t a whack load of people out there,” he said. “We only had the hardcore campers.”
The Rig Street area was a bit busier than the Panther River area, he said.
“And the Ya Ha Tinda area was the least busy,” he said. “I just think there were (fewer) people out there.”
Looking through the detachment’s files, Organ said an industry site was on Thursday, May 19 targetted for some copper and that there were also some firearms complaints reported.
Although fireworks weren’t allowed without a permit, police believe what had been reported as gunshots were actually revellers discharging fireworks. The corporal said the call was nevertheless investigated as gunshots, but added officers were unable to find anyone.
There was also a recreational vehicle that rolled over, while another was involved in a minor collision after turning too sharply and hitting another truck mid-turn, he said, adding there was also an incident involving a motorist who hit a tree after swerving to avoid three deer that jumped in front of the vehicle out in Clearwater County along the Ya Ha Tinda road.
The corporal said the people that police dealt with were mostly polite and respectful.
“Nobody was was rude,” he said. “We hope to have more long weekends with people who are going to be respectful of the West Country.”
Meanwhile, the Sundre Fire Department’s chief was ready to respond through the weekend, but found himself with a rare opportunity to enjoy some time with his family and to catch up on chores around the house.
“It was actually very good for us,” Ross Clews said when asked how things went.
“We had one medical run—an echo medical run in town—and one mutual aid request to go help Cremona with a grass fire,” said Clews. “That was it. It was good.”
Fire crews were ready, but “people must have been behaving” as there were no campfires reported out of control in the backcountry nor any major motor vehicle collisions responded to that he’d heard of.
“We were pleasantly shocked. I had a great weekend,” he said with a laugh, adding, “I just worked around the house and stayed around for calls. It was quiet; it was nice.”
