The Adopt-a-Street Program has been established as a public service program for volunteers to pick up litter along City of Windsor streets . To sign up , or for more information , call 311
Angelica Haggert
In the aftermath of the most recent tornado , there ’ s been a big push in Windsor-Essex to get the debris cleaned up . Streets are littered with torn down tree branches and garbage blown from blocks away .
It ’ s not an old problem in Windsor - garbage , especially large pieces of unwanted or broken furniture - are quite often found curbside . This might be because there is a $ 5.00 fee to dispose of this kind of garbage . One Windsor city councillor , Irek Kusmierczyk , wants to have a free bin day for residents , a practice done in many other cities . In early August , Windsor city council voted against pickup for large items - remaining the only area municipality who does not include large items for curbside pickup . The $ 5 fee may not seem like much , but transporting large items to the drop off location at the city dump can be difficult .
The Downtown Windsor Community Collaborative hosted a “ Spruce Up The Bruce ” event with a bin at Bruce Avenue Park mid-June . Over 80 cubic yards of junk were collected .
City parks are full of debris , including Peche Island , a somewhat-hard-to-reach location that requires a little more effort to clean up . The Windsor-Essex County Canoe Club sprang into action , using their regular paddles across to the island to bring bags and bags of trash back to the mainland .
But after the debris from the tornado is clear , will the attitudes of Windsorites remain in the mindset of keeping things clean ?
Litter is a bigger problem in some neighbourhoods than others . Litter is a threat to public health ; it attracts vermin and is a breeding ground for bacteria . Items such as broken glass and syringes can be a health hazard in public places . It ’ s also unsightly . And litter attracts litter - people are more likely to be careless about disposing of their garbage if it seems like littering is acceptable .
Individuals , groups and businesses can all play a part in keeping our community clean and healthy . The Adopt-A-Street program is free for anyone to sign up , requiring only an adult 19 + for every 5 people under 18 . The name on the sign the city installs in the area can be an individual ’ s name or the name of a business .
The Hub Windsor-Essex has decided to take action to do our part to keep Windsor ’ s streets clean . We ’ ve joined the Adopt-A-Street program , offered by the City of Windsor , and committed to a one-year
The Adopt-a-Street Program has been established as a public service program for volunteers to pick up litter along City of Windsor streets . To sign up , or for more information , call 311
period of keeping our assigned area clean . Any business or individual can join the program , and we hereby challenge your school , store , office or organization to to the same . The city recommends two designated clean-ups a year . Duties include picking up litter , raking leaves , and reporting unkempt properties or dangerous situations to 311 . The program provides the materials you need for safe pickup .
So how about it Hubsters ? Ready to keep your neighbourhood clean ? Tell us how you do it , and we ’ ll keep you posted on our first cleanup so you can come out and help if you are able !
8 The HUB -September 2016
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