A Calgary woman is facing a $500 fine after pleading guilty in provincial court to illegally camping in Banff National Park along Vermilion Lakes road in 2013.
Chloe Tocher pleaded guilty last week to two counts of contravening the regulations of the National Parks Act by illegally camping near Banff three years ago.
Federal Crown prosecutor Anita Szabo told Judge Gordon Wong that the incident occurred on Aug. 31, 2013, when wardens responded to a report of illegal campers in the Vermilion Lakes area.
“There is no camping permitted in that area,” said Szabo, adding wardens found several individuals occupying two tents and a fire pit that was created as part of the illegal campsite in a pullout along the roadway.
The Crown told the judge the campers had cut down a number of trees in order to have a campfire, which is also not permitted and accounted for the second of the charges against Tocher.
The accused had set a trial date for the charges after appearing in court in 2013, however, did not show up for the trial. She was charged with failing to appear in court, a criminal offence, however, that charge was withdrawn by the Crown after guilty pleas to the other charges.
Duty counsel Linda Levesque said eight other individuals involved in the illegal camping were also charged and only one has matters outstanding.
Wong accepted the guilty pleas and issued a fine of $250 for each charge.
