SURREY — “We’re not garbaging,” they said.Those were the words of several young men caught on camera illegally dumping loads of broken concrete onto a rural farm road in Surrey, just before local residents and farmers intervened, blocked their escape and forced them to clean up the mess themselves."I caught these f---ing idiots dumping on Colebrook Road, what a bunch of pieces of s---," one local resident can be heard saying before asking, "We're not garbaging? What the f--- is this?".The incident unfolded on Colebrook Road, a dead-end farm road in the Fraser Valley community. Video circulating widely on social media shows a group of men unloading chunks of concrete — apparently debris from a driveway or demolition job — into a roadside ditch. When confronted by neighbours who arrived on the scene, the men initially denied they were dumping garbage.Footage shows the men, some appearing reluctant, eventually picking up the debris and loading it back onto their vehicle under the watchful eyes of the community group. The roughly 46-second clip, originally shared by local Instagram account @surreylinks has drawn tens of thousands of views and generated heated online discussion about illegal dumping in the area..The video has prompted calls for stronger enforcement of anti-dumping bylaws and provincial regulations, which can carry significant fines. British Columbia’s Environmental Management Act prohibits unauthorized waste disposal, with penalties that can include fines or court-ordered remediation.The incident also comes despite Surrey’s significant efforts to provide alternatives and curb illegal dumping. In 2025, the city recorded strong participation in its free waste drop-off program, which ran from May 5 to September 24 and is unique in the region.Participation rose 9% from the previous year, with 23,600 loads and 3,600 tonnes of waste diverted. Mattress drop-offs jumped 50 per cent, with 4,075 collected.“Surrey is proud to be the only city in the region offering residents a free waste drop-off service, reflecting our commitment to a clean, safe and beautiful city,” Mayor Brenda Locke said in a statement last year. She also credited residents, staff and community groups supporting initiatives like the Adopt-A-Street program.And yet, despite the municipal government's best efforts, the most recent viral clip would suggest the problem of "garbageing" persists.
