The City of Estevan is encouraging local residents and businesses to get involved with the rejuvenated cleanup campaign, known as Operation Clean Sweep.
The campaign will kick off on May 16 with city crews cleaning Estevan’s primary entrances and the outlying areas. The second day will focus on all city properties, including green spaces such as boulevards, medians, parks and natural areas.
On May 18, city employees will pick up contained organic waste materials, such as twigs, leaves and yard refuse, from people who live north of the railroad tracks. Branches will have to be bundled in three-foot lengths, while leaves and yard refuse must be bagged.
Crews will do the same for those south of the railroad tracks on May 19.
All items must be on the driveway before 8 a.m. the day of the pickup.
A free weekend at the landfill will happen from May 20 to 23 for City of Estevan residents. Appliances that contain Freon, such as refrigerators, freezers and air conditions, are not included, and hazardous waste material will not be accepted.
The cleanup work is scheduled to proceed even if the weather does not co-operate.
Norm Mack, who is the manager of roads and drainage for the city’s public works division, noted the cleanup campaign had fallen by the wayside in recent years. But he and parks manager Rod March decided now was the time to bring it back.
With Estevan hosting the Saskatchewan Summer Games in July, they believe this is the perfect time to resurrect the campaign.
“We just want a cleaner city,” Mack said in an interview with the Mercury.
Operation Clean Sweep isn’t just a city initiative. They want the efforts and the emphasis on beautification efforts to extend to business owners and residents.
“With the collaboration of businesses and with the collaboration of our bylaw enforcement, what we’re trying to do is present a united front early in the year to try to get the message out that we are going to be cleaning up every spring, and we want a big, consolidated effort going,” said March.
An annual cleanup campaign was offered in the past, often as part of the Golden Garbage Can competition with Weyburn. Mack said they chose the Operation Clean Sweep name so that people could easily identify the initiative.
“We want people, this year especially, to go out in their back lanes, to go out in their front yards, and if they see litter in the street, to go out and grab it,” said Mack. “Same thing with industrial areas. If they see garbage in their ditches, go out and pick it up.”
March noted it has been an early spring, so they have had inquiries as to why this campaign didn’t happen earlier. Mack and March agreed it was better to wait until people begin their spring flower planting, which is usually around Mother’s Day.
“So we delayed it slightly, just to make sure that people had their yards in order, which usually happens in the second or third weekend in May,” said March.
It’s coincidental that the free landfill weekend will happen during the Victoria Day long weekend, they said.
“We encourage groups…if they want to go out, just go out and pick a portion of the city,” said Mack. “Any help is good.”
If people want to help out, then Mack and March can assign them a location. Many businesses received letters asking them to clean up their properties, and they have co-operated, so some of the work is already finished.
“We’re very happy to see that people are taking pride in their properties,” said March. “All we’re trying to do is extend that and say ‘We’re going to clean up the city.’”
They have received some phone calls from people who want to be part of Operation Clean Sweep, but they don’t know how many people to expect.
Anyone who wants to participate can call Mack or March at 306-634-1800.
