Camping in the backcountry of Banff National Park without the right permit got a bit pricey for two men from New Zealand after wardens caught and charged the pair with contravening regulations of the National Parks Act.
Jack Butterick and C. Neustroski-Smith entered guilty pleas to three charges out of seven laid by park wardens on June 26, the date Crown prosecutor Jeremy Newton said they were found to be illegally camping.
Newton told Justice George Gaschler wardens received a complaint about the two New Zealand residents at a backcountry campground.
He said the pair had a camping permit, but not for the campground they were in, started a campfire without a permit and chopped down trees in order to fuel the blaze.
“Wardens located these individuals on June 26 and placed them under arrest for illegal camping,” he said.
Duty counsel Benedict Leung said the pair, who are 20 and 19-years- old, are inexperienced at backcountry camping and charges arose out of their first attempt at the activity.
He said the pair were very remorseful for not having the right permits in place. Gaschler fined them each $500 based on a joint submission from counsel.
