To celebrate Earth Day last week, the Mel Swart Park Conservation Committee organized its annual cleanup of the park on the shore of Lake Gibson.
“We’ve been doing it for a long time,” says committee member and city councillor Fred Neale, in an interview with ThoroldToday. “We usually have a good crowd out there. Most years we plant a number of trees and clean up all the stuff that is on the ground, sort of to dress up the park.”
There was a lot of trash found in the park this year.
“More even in the water than on land,” says Neale. “People just throw stuff in the edge of the water and it has created a problem. We do have issues with groups going in with their beer and having a party in the back part of the park where you can’t see them, so we had to clean up some of that too. This time we found a tent that someone was sleeping in and living there during the winter time.”
Keeping the park clean is needed now more than ever.
“This year is a special year because the indigenous committee is going to put in an [Indigenous healing garden] in the park,” Neale says. “It was a good day. It wasn’t raining or snowing. Earth Day is a good time to clean up.”
Neale says it’s rewarding to take care of the park.
“A lot of people utilize that park now so keep your parks clean and allow people to enjoy nature,” he says. “It looks really good. I’ve enjoyed it. I was there when the city first bought the property and I’ve been enjoying doing it ever since.”
