Princeton Castle Resort - Natural Wonder or Environmental Disaster?

Rainbow Lake at Princeton Castle Resort. The lake occurs in a natural basin and is home to a wide variety of plants and animals, including the protected Western Painted Turtle.

We are blessed in this country. We have amazing natural treasures in the land and in the flora and fauna that inhabit it. In recognition of this, public areas have been set aside to help preserve these legacies. Land under private ownership often exhibits qualities that also make them invaluable, both environmentally and commercially. One of the great investments of future generations is in eco-tourism, a concept marrying the beauty nature has to offer with the opportunity for others to enjoy it.

A good example of this is the resort found near the town of Princeton, British Columbia. Princeton Castle Resort exhibits all the characteristics of an environmental wonderland. Allison Creek runs through the property. It helps maintain the water table and indirectly is the source of water feeding the two water bodies on the property. Rainbow Lake, a naturally occurring shallow basin, is home to a population of Western Painted Turtles. Together with a nearby pond, an amazing variety of plant and animal life is nurtured and sustained.

To top it all off, there are numerous trails present within the park that allow patrons to experience the tremendous biodiversity and beauty. The Trans-Canada Trail is immediately adjacent to the property. There is easy access to trails for the more advanced hiker, involving significant elevation gains and resulting views of the area. A coral provides the opportunity to support horses for those who would go on trail rides.

Princeton is located in a semi-arid region of BC where lakes are relatively rare, certainly in Canadian terms. Rainbow lake is just one of a handful of such waterbodies in the area. Another is Swan Lake which is just minutes up the road from it. Swan Lake is the site of a bird sanctuary. Many species of wildlife find protection there and are given the opportunity to reproduce and thrive in a world where such ecological marvels are rapidly diminishing. The site is well looked after; washroom facilities are clean, garbage is picked up, and invasive weeds are dealt with quickly to prevent them from out competing native species. There are over four kilometers of trails there allowing the enthusiast to wander over a wide range of habitats and experience the area’s natural beauty.

Swan Lake located at the Swan Lake Wildlife Refuge is an important ecological sanctuary for native and migratory species. It also is home to a population of protected Western Painted Turtles.

It seems ironic that these two areas, both blessed with natural water bodies and bursting with diversity would be so different in how they are cared for. Swan Lake, a refuge cared for by the Federation of BC Naturalists, stands as a testament to the will of man when he upkeeps the land and cares about the species that inhabit it. Rainbow Lake, part of Princeton Castle Resort, is a testament to neglect and foreign investment gone wrong. It could be a beacon of eco-tourism exhibiting environmental care in association with recreation and camping. Instead it is an environmental disaster in the making.

Photographs of animals taken at Princeton Castle Resort. These were taken during the 3rd week of July, 2020. Copyright 2020, Eric Svendsen

Photographs taken at Swan Lake Bird Sanctuary in July, 2020. Copyright Eric Svendsen.

The fact that both places are homes to a wide variety of plant and animal life is evident. They are close to each other; Swan Lake Wildlife Refuge is less than a minute’s drive from Castle Resort. Together, with the various nearby trails, they represent a superb opportunity for wildlife enthusiasts to immerse themselves in nature. This is only a possible future view, however, as Castle Resort, the lake, and surrounding land, are at serious risk of experiencing an environmental disaster.

The problems at Rainbow Lake and Castle Resort.

I stayed at Castle Resort from July 19 thru July 26, 2020. Although I was only there for a week, I saw many things which gave me cause for concern. Some of them reflect on my experience as a guest, others on my concerns for the state of the habitat. There are many issues which I think must be addressed to avoid an unmitigated environmental catastrophe and loss of a premium wildlife ecosystem. They all, in my opinion, stem from one simple problem; neglect. The neglect is not caused by the hard working but much understaffed employees of the resort. Rather it seems to come from the current ownership that supports those individuals and their underfunded efforts. Apparently, the resort was purchased as an investment by off shore individuals. My initial investigations seem to allege little regard to the state of both resort amenities and the surrounding environment. Is it possible that the offshore owners are skimping on care in order to save money and line their own pockets at the expense of the wildlife? Evidence for this abounds. Washrooms are dirty and have overflowing garbage cans. Buildings are in various states of disrepair. Garbage is widespread, especially around commercial bins, where the dumpsters may be emptied up but surrounding litter goes undisturbed. Worst of all is the presence of invasive weeds.

Just a few of the examples of neglect at Castle Resort in Princeton, BC. Washrooms and garbage were in this state for a week or more. Copypyright 2020, Eric Svendsen

Spotted knapweed, tumbling mustard, summer cypress (not confirmed), thistle and other undesirable plants are taking over. The pond is surrounded by the first two. Spotted knapweed is an invasive plant of Eurasian origin. When established it quickly outcompetes native species and produces thick, course stands of only itself. Tumbling mustard is related to a similar native species but is also invasive and quickly colonizes disturbed areas. Summer cypress, once a favoured edging plant, is poisonous to cattle. These plants are well established in the pond area and have been taking over the banks of Allison Creek. They can be found throughout the resort. It is interesting to note that only a few samples of tumbling mustard were found at Swan Lake, and only as individual plants, not in large clusters.

The presence of invasive weeds is nothing new, as a local reminded me. The difference here is the fact that they are not dealt with and are very likely destroying an amazing ecosystem. With the increase in these undesirables comes the reduction in diversity and corresponds with a change in the variety and number of first and second order consumers. This affects higher order consumers all the way up the food chain. The result will likely mean an ecosystem which is less able to support the current population of existing wildlife. The longer nothing is done, the greater the damage will be.

Top row: Non native plants found throughout the resort. Bottom row: Native species. All photos taken by Eric Svendsen.

I found a bat house which was broken down. Bats are in serious decline and we should be looking for ways to boost their presence, not diminish it. On my walk around camp I found two wasp nests, one was a soccer sized globe housing bald faced hornets, or a similar species. There were trailers full of junk which have been sitting for an unknown length of time, broken down light fixtures and exposed wires which may have been live, and barbed wire loose or affixed to broken fences. I traveled many of the paths on resort property; a map showed their location. They were largely uncared for. Many times I was hip deep in plants attempting to ford the trails. A small bridge I crossed over had one or more boards missing. It was difficult to tell because it was covered by dense vegetation. These are clear indicators that the place is in need of greater care and maintenance.

The upside of my whole experience here is that it has enormous potential. Allison Creek is beautiful; it supports rainbow trout and whitefish, not to mention a number of other species. Rainbow lake used to keep a population of stocked brown trout, but their supply has been neglected over the years as has much of the property. Where invasives have not been established wildflowers exist and add much beauty to the scene they inhabit. The good weather experienced by Princeton in association with the close proximity of the town means great times by any would-be guests. The only caveat to their ability to enjoy themselves here is the deep lack of care experienced by the facility. It is my hope to persuade the owners to save face; do what is right and take proper care of this place that so many wonderful plants and animals call home.

Photograph of the pond at Princeton Castle Resort from the escarpment; native wildflowers decorate the foreground. You can see a red current bush off to the left. I found numerous Saskatoon berry plants as well.

Thanks for reading.     Ericspix     Eric Svendsen