It is spring, well at least we like to think it is, although in Saskatchewan there is never a guarantee old man winter won’t dump on us again until at least making it to June.
With the earlier arrival of good weather, thoughts turn to cleaning up our yards and streets, and getting ready for the pleasures of the warmer months ahead.
To our City’s credit they do work to make Yorkton a clean and nice looking city.
It has been customary for the City to declare an annual Spring Yard Waste Clean Up Week to encourage residents of the City of Yorkton to clean up their properties to help improve the image and appeal of our community. To encourage participation, City Council has previously waived the landfill tipping fees for residential refuse hauled in by city residents by car, half-ton truck or single axle utility trailer. This campaign has been strictly for city schools and City of Yorkton residents hauling in their own debris that has accumulated on their yard over the winter months.
It has been a well-received program in the past, and one which is a definite help in encouraging residents to ‘spruce-up’ their yards.
The City is also involved with the Yorkton Business Improvement District, and SIGN, in a street cleaning effort which is ongoing in the city core through the spring, summer and fall.
Having a clean business district is a definite plus for the community in terms of leaving a good impression with tourists and visitors.
It is something we see other groups in the community taking to heart. It was only recently the local Cub Scouts were out picking garbage from city streets, doing their part in terms of being good community citizens.
And it goes beyond keeping streets and yards clean.
The City has done a tremendous job with building flower boxes at street turn outs in the downtown, and other locales in the city such as the roundabout on Darlington Avenue, and those in Western Financial City Centre Park.
Add to that the flower pots placed around the city, and there is a beauty and vibrancy created which makes Yorkton a little nicer place because of the effort.
Many residents pick up on what is happening, and there are many wonderful local flower gardens, as witnessed by the annual garden tour held in the community, and then seen further in the annual horticultural show.
Clean streets, and beautiful flowers do much in terms of community aesthetics, and Yorkton can be proud of the efforts put forward by the City, local organizations, and individuals. It shows a level of pride of community we are fortunate to have here.
