Approximately 40 volunteers came out on Sunday, April 28, 2024 for the annual Port Hope Spring Cleaning.
Spearheaded for the last several years by Queenies Bake Shop owner and councillor Adam Pearson this year joining forces with Port Hope Rotary and volunteers from across Municipality of Port Hope.
Rain didn’t keep volunteers away as they met at the service centre on the north east side of Highway 401 and County Road 28 at 2 p.m.
Groups were divided up and went to various locations throughout the community to clean including Garden Hill, Browns Road, Welcome, Telephone Road, Hamilton Township Boundary Road and along the Ganaraska River.
Pearson said he tries to remain positive about the garbage saying, “sometimes things happen. Animals get into things and rip things up. Unfortunately it happens, but just like at your house, that
Spring cleaning you do it every year, so you also do it as a municipality and clean it all up.”
There was one area north of Barrett Street that shocked the volunteers with the amount of garbage.
It was just off the trail that goes down the east side of the Ganaraska River on an embankment just off of Caroline Street.
A large area of complete garbage with everything from plastic bottles paper, cans, a needle and more.
Looking the area over, Pearson said, “it sure looks like it has been dumped for awhile.”
“I’m not sure why anybody would think this is a good idea – if anybody is listening, please don’t do this in the future.”
The weather wasn’t the greatest on Sunday, but each year volunteers come out to help clean.
“There’s no better feeling than living in a community that actually cares and we have that here and I can’t be happier.”
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
