Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup to run Sept. 17 to 25.
Shorelines around Etobicoke will be scrubbed clean this September with the return of the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup and a host of volunteers organizing groups along Mimico and Etobicoke creeks and Lake Ontario. The cleanup is one of many taking place throughout the area. Two years ago, Jane Goodall's Root's and Shoots Project Blue 2009 Water Campaign took on a cleanup of Humber Bay Shoreline. Hundreds of volunteers like Mary Nolan and Giovanni Vardanega took to the rocks to clean up the debris.
Staff file photo/IAN KELSO
Shorelines around Etobicoke will be scrubbed clean this September with the return of the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup and a host of volunteers organizing groups along Mimico and Etobicoke creeks and Lake Ontario.
"I bring my classes...so it's become a bit of a tradition at the beginning of the school year," said Deborah Zamin, Grade 8 French immersion teacher at John English Junior Middle School in Mimico.
Zamin has been an acting site co-ordinator since 2004. Her classes pick up trash along five kilomteres of shoreline at the Norris Cresent Parkette, a green space close to the school the students attend.
"It seemed like a natural fit for the kids. It gets them outside and it's a bit of a bonding experience for them," said Zamin, who says the event ties in nicely with the students' curriculum.
The Canada-wide week is a joint initiative between the Vancouver Aquarium and World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF-Canada) that began in British Columbia in 1994 and expanded into every province and territory in 2003. Volunteers not only clean, but record the type of litter crowding around water sources.
The main culprit? According to program manager Jill Dwyer it's trash from recreational use like picnics, camping, etc. The top five offenders are cigarette butts, food wrappers, plastic bags, caps/lids and disposable cutlery and dishes.
The program effectiveness lies in its ability to raise awareness among Canadians.
"What we find is that when people participate in the program...that it makes them think twice when visiting a beach next time," said Dwyer.
The main goal in cleanup efforts is to prevent litter from ending up in the water where it has fatal implications for local wildlife and endangers drinking water supplies. Among the more unusual finds over the years are an 18K gold ring, a canoe made entirely of duct tape, and a rickshaw.
Last year Canada had the third largest cleanup effort after The United States and the Philippines, according to data from Ocean Conservancy, which heads up the International Coastal Cleanup and records data form all participating countries.
The main goal in cleanup efforts is to prevent litter from ending up in the water where it has fatal implications for local wildlife and endangers drinking water supplies.
This year's Canadian cleanup takes place Sept. 17 to 25, and many sites along the waterfront are still open for registration, including Humber Bay East, Kings Mill Park and Bend Manor Park. Registration deadline is Sept. 14.
For information and to sign up visit http://shorelinecleanup.ca/en