Hobo Hot Springs ordered to be restored as battle over grassroots site continues

The spot, not far from the Harrison Resort, where natural hot water percolates up from the ground, had been built up with rocks and logs by the locals.

The battle over a grassroots hot spring in the community of Harrison continues with the B.C. government ordering the restoration of the so-called Hobo Hot Springs.

The spot, not far from the Harrison Resort, where natural hot water percolates up from the ground, had been built up with rocks and logs by the locals in order to enjoy a free soak in the wilderness.

However, last October, it was discovered someone had filled in the springs with rocks and dirt.

Harrison’s mayor, Fred Talen, said at the time that the Harrison Hot Springs resort was responsible for shutting down the pools.

“There’s a resort here who want to monopolize the hot springs experience, and that’s wrong,” he told Global News on Tuesday.

“These are public hot springs, public lands, it’s a public resource. I think the public should have access to them.”

Over the weekend, the resort also put up a chainlink fence around the site, however the fence was approved by the B.C. government while the resort did some restoration work.

Now the B.C. government has ordered the natural hot spring to be restored to the more natural state it was before it was filled in.