By Cassie de Jong and David Myles
Last Saturday, March 23, the 12th Annual Fraser River Cleanup made an appearance on Chilliwack shores near Gill Road. The event was put on by Fraser Riverkeeper, a Swim Drink Fish Canada initiative and non-profit that works to protect our waters. The event was also put on in part by their local company partner, Woodtone, a Chilliwack building materials supplier. According to Molly O’Ray, program manager with Fraser Riverkeeper, the annual event began years ago with just a few people cleaning up the river, but has now grown to the point where hundreds of people are attending. In the past 11 years, volunteers have removed over 125 tonnes of garbage from the Fraser. Take a look at this photo essay to catch a glimpse of the amazing effort that local Fraser Valley residents put in.
“These nails will get into the water, which is bad for everyone,” said a man to his daughter.
It wasn’t just families on foot; some people brought heavy equipment to really make an impact.
All the collected waste was sorted into large bins.
At the end of the day everyone was provided with a barbecue.
If you missed this event but are interested in making your contribution to local environmental cleanup initiatives, the Chilliwack Vedder River Cleanup Society has their upcoming cleanup on Saturday, April 13 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve in Chilliwack. For more information on this event, potential volunteers can contact info@cleanrivers.ca.
Images: David Myles/The Cascade
