Tires, bike frames, broken glass and nails were among numerous discarded items found in the Doumont Trails area Sunday, Sept. 29 during a coordinated cleanup effort (NMBC)

By Ian Holmes

take out the trash

Cleanup crew puts dent in rural Nanaimo dumping problem

Sep 29, 2025 | 2:39 PM

NANAIMO — Led by Nanaimo Mountain Bike Club volunteers and corporate support, 6,400 pounds of trash was removed from the Doumont recreation area near Brannen Lake.

Harry Olson, Nanaimo Mountain Bike Club (NMBC) director of communications and social media, said the Sunday, Sept 28 effort is planned to be an annual fall event.

“We moved around 14 tires, we had a toilet, there was an old motorbike frame, and old bike, but really Doumont is kind of notorious for dumping.”

In addition to the harms illegal dumping has on the environment and wildlife, Olsen said they encountered numerous safety hazards impacting all recreation users in the area.

A three-hour cleanup was a productive one by NMBC, aided by corporate support. (NMBC)

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“There’s broken glass, there’s also nails on the roads,” he said.

Even a smoldering fire was found during the clean-up and extinguished, Olson noted.

He said NMBC is always looking for new members, including those willing to help build and maintain trails, as well as rewarding clean-up tasks.

Olson advises anybody witnessing illegal dumping to note the location, provide a description of the offenders including their vehicle, and take pictures if it’s safe to do so.

Reports should be made immediately to the Ministry of Environment’s Report All Poaches and Polluters (RAPP) line at 1-877-952-7277, or online.

“It’s about getting this outreach, understanding where people can go for more information and where to report as well,” Olson said.

Additional information on NMBC is available on the volunteer-run organization’s website linked here and its various social media channels.

The Regional District of Nanaimo also helps coordinate neighbourhood cleanup initiatives as a result of illegal dumping, with more information available here.

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