Three city councillors are organizing community clean-ups next week as the spring melt leaves behind traces of trash across the city.
Councillors Charlene Miller, Terra Lennox-Zepp and Evert Botha, who represent wards one, two and three respectively, are all holding ward clean-ups again this year. They each hosted community clean-ups last year as well.
Miller is organizing volunteers to participate in the cleanup from 9-3 each day next week, starting Monday, with a noon-1 p.m. lunch break.
“Now is the time to take pride in our community by cleaning up our yards, alleys and boulevards,” Miller wrote in a letter to her ward.
“This will include trash removal, trimming trees and hedges, cutting grass and yard clean-up. “
From May 6-11, Ward 1 residents will clean up alleys while working with area schools to clean boulevards in the afternoon. Miller is also looking for volunteers to help with picking up appliances, furniture and other large items.
“Now is the time that all of us in Ward 1 can show the rest of the city our pride and make the effort to clean up our area,” Miller wrote.
Dumpsters will be set up at Parkland Hall for Ward 1 residents to use during clean-up week. The containers will be labelled. Last year the Ward 1 project removed over 20 tonnes of debris.
Likewise, Ward 2 Coun. Lennox-Zepp is hosting pitch-in week from May 6 to 12. Ward 2 residents are also invited to use the dumpsters at Parkland Hall. Only residential waste, however, will be accepted. Tires, propane tanks and fridges will not be accepted.
The Ward 3 clean-up is being held from May 7 until May 12.
The new location for the Ward 3 drop-off is the Prince Albert Exhibition Centre. Tires will not be accepted this year. The PAEx will be selling hot dog, burgers and refreshments to help to raise funds for the renovation of the historic Octagonal Building. You can also donate returnable cans, cartons and bottles to the fundraising effort.
“This year we’d really like to divert as many recyclable items as possible from the Prince Albert landfill,” Botha said.
“If it can’t be used, we will have a designated delivery area at the barn where those items can be offloaded.”
Ward 3 bins will be designated for electronic waste, recyclables, metal and general waste. There will also be a sport for yard waste, though, Botha emphasized that yard waste pickup starts next week.
Botha is also teaming up with CHesterfest, a couch and music festival coming to Prince Albert this summer.
Anyone with a coach love seat or chair they would like to donate to the event can have it collected during the community clean-up.
“I think we’ve already had two calls for couches and loveseats, so I’ll be very happy to get couches next week,” Botha said.
The Ward 3 councillor was happy to be involved in the cleanup for the second consecutive year.
“We’ve talked about safer and more secure communities, and that starts with cleaner communities,” he said.
“If people take pride in their properties and work with their neighbours to maintain their back lanes, there’s less opportunity for undesirable activities. Ultimately, if our neighbourhood is well-maintained and clean, any undesirable activity will likely move somewhere else, because people care about the environment they live in.”
To volunteer in Ward 1, contact 306-764-3960 or ward1@citypa.com. For Ward 2 contact 306-763-3818 or email ward2@citypa.com. For Ward 3, contact 306-961-6762 or 306-980-5387 or email ward3princealbert@shaw.ca or ward3@citypa.com.
Pitching in for the park
The Prince Albert Triathlon MultiSport Club is holding its sixth annual pitch-in to clean up Little Red River Park this weekend.
Between 10 a.m. and noon on Saturday, volunteers are welcomed to meet at the north (west) parking lot. Garbage bags and gloves will be distributed, but you may wish to bring your own work gloves, a cardboard box or a rake or pole with a nail.
