Communities across Northumberland County rolled up their sleeves this spring to make a lasting impact, with nearly 1,900 volunteers removing more than 15,000 kilograms of litter and illegally dumped waste during the 16th annual ‘Mayors’ Keep the County Clean’ Challenge.
During the regular meeting of County Council on Wednesday, August 12, Council celebrated this year’s challenge winners, recognizing the municipalities and volunteers whose exceptional efforts helped protect and beautify local parks, roadsides, trails and public spaces.
Held from April 20 to 25 in recognition of Earth Day, the week-long county-wide cleanup initiative was delivered in partnership with local municipalities and encouraged residents of all ages to register and help care for the places they live, work, and play.
2026 Challenge Winners
The Township of Alnwick/Haldimand earned top honours in the Highest Proportional Representation of Volunteers category, with an impressive 5.6 per cent of its population participating in this year’s challenge. The Township of Hamilton secured second place with 3.5 per cent of residents registering to help keep their community clean.
In the Hardest Working Volunteers category, the Municipality of Brighton claimed first place after volunteers collected an average of 28.0 kilograms of litter per participant. The Municipality of Trent Hills followed closely in second place, with volunteers removing an average of 19.8 kilograms per participant.
Over the past 16 years, the ‘Mayors’ Keep the County Clean’ Challenge has grown into one of the County’s signature environmental initiatives. Since its inception, more than 35,000 volunteers have participated, collectively removing over 250 tonnes (550,000 pounds) of litter from communities throughout the region.
“County Council is proud to recognize the municipalities and volunteers who participated in this year’s challenge,” said Warden Bob Crate. “Year after year, this initiative demonstrates what we can accomplish when communities come together with a shared commitment to environmental stewardship and civic pride. Thank you to every volunteer who gave their time and energy to keep our county clean, healthy, and welcoming to everyone.”
To learn more about Northumberland County’s Climate Action Strategy, ongoing environmental initiatives, and practical actions residents can take at home to reduce their environmental impact, visit the County’s Climate Action Strategy webpage at Northumberland.ca/ClimateAction
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
