Last month, someone illegally dumped two couches, a chest of drawers and bed pillows in Mt Doug park.
Now the recent snowfall has cast a stark light on another waste problem.
The director of the Friends of Mount Doug Park Society, Darrell Wick, says many dog owners haven't been picking up after their pets.
"Some hikers let their dog off leash, and the dog trails behind them, does his business, and is behind them so they never see it, so it doesn't get picked up. But the snow really highlights it, the white snow against that, and unfortunately, the snow keeps it nice and fresh"
He says it's the owners responsibility to ensure they pick up after their pet, adding that there are many trash cans and bag dispensers available throughout the park.
Wick says that although they haven't seen illegal dumping to the same extent as the entire living room's contents being left off the beaten track, there still continues to be issues with people improperly disposing of items in the woods.
"On an irregular basis, you see people dumping one item, like a bed or a sofa or something like that. And the sad part of course is that Saanich work crews or park employees are paid to do the work, and that takes money away from the park's budget for park maintenance or trail improvements."
Wick adds that the worst kind of dumping they see is garden waste, and although there hasn't been much of it because of the cold weather, it still happens more frequently than other illegal dumpings. He says when that happens, invasive species can establish themselves, and are much harder to deal with than a couch or some dog doo.
"If it's got earth or something like that, invariably seeds fall off of it, and then they soon sprout and we get a lot of invasives. A sofa can be removed completely, it will cost money, but it can be removed. Garden waste is a problem."
Wick adds that many invasive species, like lamium, will quickly spread and take over the ground cover, and won't allow native plants to grow
He asks that people not illegally dump or leave their pets waste in the park. When that happens they have to dispatch some parks staff to deal with it, which is money they could be spending on improving or maintaining the trails.