Barker Island is located just outside of the Lac La Ronge Provincial Park. (submitted photo/Ric Driediger)

By Derek Cornet

Human waste

Backcountry toilet focus of Barker Island fundraiser

Aug 2, 2019 | 3:12 PM

Whitewater enthusiasts travelling to the Barker Lake area are creating an environmental mess by leaving the forest littered with human waste.

The situation in the region has gotten so bad Churchill River Canoe Outfitters Owner Ric Driediger started a GoFundMe page to raise cash to purchase a composting toilet to be installed on Barker Island. While the online fundraiser has brought in approximately $3,500 in the last six weeks, he noted more than $5,000 out of a $15,000 goal has been raised overall. It’s important a composting toilet is installed at the site, Driediger stated, because there can be up to 60 people in the area on any given day.

“It’s getting to the point you don’t want to walk into the forest because you are going to step on somebody’s poop,” he said. “Every group we take into that area we take poop buckets along and we haul everything out with us. Most groups don’t do that.”

In the past there wasn’t much of a problem at Barker Island, but Driediger mentioned in recent years the area has become a mecca for whitewater canoers or kayakers. The lake is located upstream from Devil Lake and it takes about a two-hour paddle with one portage to get there. Driediger stated the region contains some of the best whitewater to be found anywhere as it includes channels for beginners or for those who are advanced.

By installing a composting toilet, which separates urine and feces, Driediger also doesn’t believe it will increase the number of tourists headed to Barker Lake. He added the ones who care most about the service would rather camp somewhere along a main road instead of venturing far into the woods.

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“Our goal is to have a toilet next spring and I think we are far on our way to making that happen,” Driediger said.

An email to larongeNOW from the Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport states the provincial government is aware a number of backcountry camping sites along popular canoe routes in the Lac La Ronge Provincial Park are experiencing serious issues with human waste and the existing pit toilets. To increase park visitor’s experience and to minimize the long-term negative impacts on the environment, the ministry is installing the province’s first Urine Diverting Vermicomposting Toilets (UDVT).

This image shows how Urine Diverting Vermicomposting Toilets work. (submitted photo/Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport)

After extensive research into the challenges of dealing with human waste in the backcountry, the province has determined UVDT’s are a realistic and cost-effective solution.

“A one-year trial/pilot system is being installed soon at Little Stanley Rapids and Robertson Falls,” the email states. “If the pilot is successful, the ministry would like to continue to add UDVT systems in other provincial park backcountry campsite areas.”

The toilet system is also being considered for some out of the way recreation sites and roadside locations as accessing those sites and pumping out the tanks is rare and expensive.

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derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno