REGINA — The Regina Downtown Business Improvement District (RDBID) is making strides for a safer, cleaner area.
The RBDID utilizes a clean team consisting of five members, hitting different routes and areas from Monday to Saturday.
“We cover the whole downtown, and every area gets hit at least once a week,” said Nelson Mitchell, RBDID operations manager.
Through their efforts, the clean-up team collected nearly 4,000 pounds of litter and debris from Jan. 2 to July 5.
Mitchell said these numbers are around average, though summer is typically more rampant for litter.
The clean-up team picks up items ranging from gum to cigarettes and even needles. Mitchell said there have been roughly 300 needles picked up in the downtown area, which aligns with usual numbers.
By the end of the year, Mitchell estimates roughly 6,000 pounds of garbage will be collected by the clean-up team.
The team also deals with graffiti, removing over 1,000 instances of stickers, posters, and more so far in 2025.
“We have noticed an uptake on stickers and posters that are hanging in designated areas,” he said. “So posters that are on traffic light poles, stickers that are all over parking meters, traffic poles, park benches.”
Mitchell noted that many of the stickers are political messages.
With a cleaner downtown, Mitchell believes it will attract more visitors, helping businesses with foot traffic.
