Shopping carts, electrical cords and random trash made way for fish, waterfowl and bushes as the shores of St. Albert’s Sturgeon River got a makeover yesterday.
The local cleanup effort helped kick off the 17th annual Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup.
“We have cleanups across the country, and St. Albert was selected as one of the launch events,” said Annette Cake, regional co-ordinator for World Wildlife Fund Canada.
“We haven’t formally weighed it yet but we’re thinking we got a few kilos anyway.”
Cake said some of the biggest items collected in terms of numbers are some of the smallest items in terms of weight.
She said cigarette butts and bottle caps are some of the worst culprits.
“Those are the sorts of things that can have even more of a negative impact on aquatic life,” Cake said.
“Having a lot of people come out to pick up that stuff really makes a difference.”
The shoreline cleanup is a great chance to spruce up your local river valley — but Cake is also encouraging everyone to visit their shorelines and get connected with nature in their towns and cities throughout the year.
