Cleaning the shores around Yorkton have found items as diverse as refrigerators and nunchucks. This year, from September 18-26 is another Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup, and it's time to get rid of that next round of debris.
Julie Dwyer with the Shoreline Cleanup says the event has seen steady growth for the past seventeen years. Starting as a project with a few Vancouver Aquarium employees, it has grown every year and now covers the entire country.
"It's amazing how the program grows every year, and it's so wonderful to see Canadians getting involved in their community and doing their part to improve their local environment," Dwyer says.
The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup is part of the International Shoreline Cleanup, Dwyer notes, and shorelines internationally will be
"Not only will they be improving their local shoreline and their local community, but the cumulative effect of Canadians cleaning up all of their shorelines during that week is amazing," Dwyer says.
The cleanup is not just about doing your part, Dwyer says, but it's also about having fun. She notes that many of the site coordinators and volunteers come back year after year to keep working to improve the shores. Part of that might be the adventure, as people find everything from Celine Dion CDs to discarded wedding dresses.
"You never know what you are going to find on your local shoreline, and we always get a good chuckle out of these items. But we also get items like car batteries, and electronics, items that are going to leak toxic chemicals into the water, and it shows that in some instances, our shorelines are still being used as a dumping ground, and that is one of the behaviors that we would really like Canadians to change," Dwyer says.
With the top items on the list nationally being food wrappers and cigarette butts, Dwyer says what ends up on the shores the most is the after effects of use. She hopes that as people clean the shores more, they become more careful and there is less of a need for the cleanup.
People looking to get involved with the cleanup in the area are encouraged to visit www.shorelinecleanup.ca.
