Thousands of volunteers help keep Calgary clean

More than 2,500 volunteers were up bright and early to help clean up Calgary.

Sunday was the 49th annual Pathway and River Cleanup, and volunteers in all quadrants of the city spent the morning picking up trash in parks, green spaces and along pathways.

Maggie Nelson, volunteer program advisor with City of Calgary Parks, said even though the winter season was a mild one, there is always garbage to collect during the cleanup.

“I think it is what it is,” Nelson said. “We get a lot of debris along our pathway systems, especially those along the big roadways. But because it has been a mild winter, we have had lots of community groups out doing park cleanups already.”

Terry Bell, a volunteer with the event for 11 years, said every year, more and more people come out to help keep the streets clean.

“It seems to grow every year. I can see it increasing for sure,” Bell said, adding that that while volunteer numbers go up, the amount of trash goes down. “We’ve found less garbage in the past five years, excluding after the flood of course. People are becoming more careful, I think.”

Bell said she’s found lots of interesting items over the years, including coconuts, and a brand new golf club.

The city is calling on all Calgarians to keep it clean, and pick up after themselves and their pets.

“This work is super important. It gives the city a really good spring cleaning, and it also serves as a reminder to Calgarians the importance of keeping our parks and green spaces clean year-round,” Nelson said.

For more information on this year’s event, or to learn how to organize a community cleanup, visit the City of Calgary’s website. (link: calgary.ca/pathwayandrivercleanup)