Oakville Earth Day Clean Up has more sites than ever this year, say organizers

The 32nd annual Earth Day Clean Up will take place at an all-time best 65 nature sites across Oakville this year.

Organized by the Oakville Community Centre for Peace, Ecology and Human Rights (OCCPEHR), this year’s clean up is set for Saturday, April 22, beginning at 9 a.m.
This year’s theme is “For a clean, green, litter-free Oakville.”

“April 22 is also the actual Earth Day, first celebrated in 1970. Join in with millions of people around the world who will be doing something positive for the protection of the natural environment and all living things on Earth Day by pitching-in at the annual Oakville Clean Up,” said Stephen Dankowich, co-Founder and Executive Director of the OCCPEHR.

Organizers are looking to build on what they say was their most successful year ever in 2022.

Over 1,200 volunteers at 61 sites pitched-in to haul away 7.1 metric tonnes of garbage and .86 metric tonnes of metal trucked that were hauled away by Miller Waste Systems. The total weight of all items was 17,650 lbs.

The campaign has five goals.

“Our five goals are to (1) promote awareness and respect for nature and Oakville’s many waterways, (2) beautify local neighbourhoods, (3) build community through environmental activism, (4) protect wildlife and (5) increase awareness of the need to protect biodiversity in Oakville,” said Dankowich.

Interested residents and students who want to pitch-in at any of the 65 listed Clean Up Nature Sites are encouraged to register early. Send a quick e-mail to [email protected] notifying which site you will be pitching-in at.

Also, let organizers know how many other people might be with you in your e-mail and if you or others are high school students who will receive a Form Letter acknowledging your volunteer hours that morning or afternoon.

This will allow the site coordinator to be ready to welcome you at their sign-in table.

You can also contact (905) 849-5501 to confirm your participation in the Earth Day Clean Up or to answer any queries you may have about volunteering at this community-wide environmental Earth Day event.

You can also register on the day at the site.

New sites can still be set up. Those are interested are asked to contact the OCCPEHR.

“There are a few more beautiful nature sites that could be cleaned up for Earth Day this spring with your assistance,” said Dankowich.

Garbage bags and disposable gloves will be available on site. You are encouraged to bring your own cloth or leather work gloves and pick-up tools.

People will be asked to sign-in for the purpose of assisting future organizing and for a draw to win a bike helmet donated by Cyclepath on Speers Road.

Here is the list of 65 clean up locations:

WARD ONE (7 Sites)
– Bronte Bluffs Park: Donovan Cox and the Bronte Village Residents Association (BVRA).

– Bronte Creek Provincial Park: Joanne Wright and The Friends of Bronte Creek Park; receive your bags and gloves upon entry into the Park.

– Bronte Harbour (Meet at East Street and Ontario Street): Lesley McVean rallies the neighbourhood starting from here.

– Bronte Road and QEW Carpool: Peter Vandermyden and family.

– Burloak Drive and QEW green spaces: Emily Kraft (Meet in the Kelsey’s parking lot).

– Lakeshore Woods (Great Lakes Boulevard & Creek Path Avenue): Linda and Lauren Zylik.

– Valleyridge Park and trails: Susan Dane and the Halton Outdoor Club; coffee available, bring your own mug!

WARD TWO (13 Sites)
– Aldercrest Park (located behind Loyola SS on Blackthorn Place): Park Ambassador Cathy Buchanan.

– Burnet Street Park: Beginning 9:30 am, tidy up Waterworks Park too with Lesley Henshaw and the West Harbour Residents Association (WHRA).

– Coronation Park: Seema and Pradeep Nambiar with the Organization of Oakville Keralites encourage Appleby College students to pitch-in here again this spring.

– Forster Park and Hogs Back Park (Meet at Forster Park): Vanessa Dorrington, Joe Williams and the West River Residents Association (WRRA).

– Glen Oak Creek Trail South at Monastery Drive: Erik Brodner and family.

– Glen Oak Creek Trail North at Monastery Drive: Stephen and Connie Wei and members with the St. Simon Anglican Church meet in the Loyola SS parking lot.

– Hopedale Park: Earl and Sharon Weise.

– Indian Ridge Trail (Meet at the entrance to the trails on Lindsay Drive): Donna Sheppard and the South Peel Naturalists’ Club (SPNC).

– Kerr Street North and the North Service Road West: AFTERNOON SITE FROM 2-4 PM; (Meet at entrance to Il Fornello across from the Winner’s plaza). Site coordinators Ann Osana and Dagmar Wilhelm encourage High School students to pitch-in here!

– Kinoak Arena and Brook Valley Park: Toaster and Sabrina Dementros of the Oakville Independents welcome the neighbourhood to meet in the arena parking lot.

– Old Abbey Lane Park and area: Donna and Emily Morano.

– Valleywood Court: Christine and Robert Schultz rally the neighbourhood here.

– Woodhaven Park and Sedgewick Forest: Ehl Harrison family and friends. All are welcome!

WARD THREE (9 Sites)
– Busby Park: Beginning 9:30 am, Stephen Cull and CharterAbility welcome you along the Sixteen Mile Creek under the overhead Randall Street bridge.

– Clearview Park: The Clearview Oakville Community Alliance (COCA) encourages residents to pick up a bag and glove and tidy up their section of the neighbourhood.

– Dunvegan Park: Pitch-in with Paul Dankowich and family.

– Gairloch Gardens: Beginning 10 am, pitch-in with David Bird and the Chartwell Maple Grove Residents Association (CMGRA).

– Lakeside Park, lakefront and lighthouse: AFTERNOON SITE FROM 2-4 PM; Town Museum Programmer Julie Hawryszko welcomes you inside the Oakville Museum.

– Maple Grove Park and Arena: Elizabeth Chalmers and the Joshua Creek Residents Association (JCRA) clean up the Joshua Valley Park trails along the creek, too.

– Oakville Curling Club: Kimberly Cranfield and the Trafalgar Chartwell Residents Association (TCRA).

– Perkins Passage: Gather across from the Oakville Humane Society for the clean up of parks and greenspaces on the south and north sides of Cornwall Road from Trafalgar to Chartwell.

– YMCA: Join Heather White and family for a wide neighbourhood tidying up of Suffolk Park, Glen Oak Park, Rebecca Street from Dorval to Fourth Line, Blakelock high school and St. Thomas Aquinas secondary school.

WARD FOUR (14 Sites)

– Arbourview Park: Pitch-in with Jennifer Horner and members of Oakville Titans Football, a local not-for-profit sports group for players aged nineteen and under.

– Glen Abbey Trail (Meet at Glen Abbey Gate trail entrance): Nicole and Paul Panabaker.

– Castlebrook Park: Rashed Chowdhury and neighbours will tidy up the trails and ravines.

– Glen Oak Creek Trail North (Meet at Fourth Line and Upper Middle Road): Denise Severin-Prior and Brett Prior also coordinate clean up along Taplow Creek trails and at Bloomfield Park.

– Heritage Way Park (Meet at the Merchant Gate Trail entrance on the west-side of Merchants Gate): Pitch-in with Weidong Zhu and the Glen Abbey Neighbourhood Association (GANA).

– Langtry Park: Devnand Nambiar, a university student and member of H2O Canada Youth and Ontario Heroes encourages Glen Abbey students to join him here.

– Millstone Park: Bill and Marlene Keay.

– Nottinghill Park: David Kantor and the Federation of North American Explorers, a Catholic faith youth group.

– Ravine at Third Line and Upper Middle Road (Next to the TD Bank): Amy Young.

– 16 Hollow Park and area trails: Sharon Brodner.

– Sandpiper Road and Pheasant Lane: Kimberly Sziraky and family.

– Summit Ridge Drive Trails: High school student Katie Turnbull and family.

– West Oak Trails Park: Karen Wilson Davis and family.

– Woodgate Woods: Voula Caffrey and family.

WARD FIVE (7 Sites)
– Harman Gate Park: Laura Shaw and family.

– Memorial Park: Gita Zoghi meets volunteers on Hays Boulevard.

– Memorial Park Playground: Councillor Jeff Knoll and the Film.ca Cinemas team will meet volunteers here and attend to the trails east of Sixth Line, south to River Oaks Boulevard East.

– Munns Creek Park and Margot Street Park: David Stefan and family.

– Oxford Park: Michelle and Jeff Sholdice.

– River Glen Park: Geoff and Mary Hospital.

– Sheridan College: Peter Watson and Treetops Estates residents meet on the west side of Marlborough Court and welcome students and other neighbours to join them.

WARD SIX (8 Sites)
– Algrove Park: Councillor Tom Adams welcomes residents to join him here.

– Bayshire Woods Park: Paul Butler.

– Glenashton Drive Bridge and ravines: Don Meade, OCCPEHR Board Member.

– Glenashton Park and Iroquois Ridge Community Centre: Jinglie Dou and the Oakville Chinese Senior 99 Association.

– Iroquois Shoreline Woods (Grand Boulevard and Upper Middle Road East): Tracy Zhou.

– Litchfield Park and area: Star and Chris Helmer.

– The Brownstones: Leslie Osborne and team meet at 300 Ravineview Way, by the mailbox kiosk.

– Valleybrook Park: AFTERNOON SITE FROM 2-4 PM. Also, clean up along Upper Middle Road from Trafalgar Road to Ford Drive as well as the Sheridan Valley Trails and parks south of Upper Middle Road.

WARD SEVEN (7 Sites)

– Buttonbush Woods Park: Pitch-in at this new location with Program Manager Anelia Tichkova and Oakvillegreen Conservation Association and learn more about their tree planting initiatives.

– Fowley Park: A new site in 2023 for this expanding neighbourhood; join Ajay Rosha.

– Glenorchy Conservation Area: Adnan Manzoor and the GKC Kite Flying Group.

– Isaac Park and green space north of Dundas Street: Mamta Rosha welcomes you.

– Lions Valley Park: NOW ON SATURDAY, APRIL 29 AT 10 AM; Husnain Zakaria and the Islamic Centre of North America, Oakville Chapter tidy up this beautiful green space.

– Palermo Park: Mr. Aprit Mittal, Oakville representative for the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh.

– William Rose Park: Sehaj Rosha is a new coordinator at this new site and a university student who encourages Ward Seven students to join him here.

With everyone not able to attend a clean up in the morning, for the first time there will be three afternoon sites in Oakville that residents can pitch-in at, including:

1. KERR STREET & NORTH SERVICE ROAD WEST:

Again there will be cleaning up the green spaces from the bend at Kerr Street North and the North Service Road all the way west to Dorval Drive. This is a Ward Two site first set up last spring very successfully. Meet at the plaza entrance near the Il Fornello restaurant across from the Winner’s plaza.

2. VALLEYBROOK PARK ON UPPER MIDDLE ROAD, EAST OF EIGHTH LINE:

Clean up along Upper Middle Road from east of Trafalgar Road to Ford Drive and also the Sheridan Valley Trails south of Upper Middle Road. This is a Ward Six site.

3. OAKVILLE MUSEUM ON NAVY STREET DOWNTOWN AT LAKE ONTARIO:

Tidy up adjacent Lakeside Park and lakefront on the east side of the Sixteen Mile Creek here in Ward Three. Visit the museum and check out the lighthouse and boardwalk!

Volunteers at Kerr Street North and Valleybrook Park will enjoy a pizza party thanks to Panago Pizza on Cornwall Road who wants you to keep your energy up while volunteering.

The clean up event proceeds rain or shine.

“The earth and all living things need our care said,” Dankowich. We thank everyone for their past and continuing involvement in Oakville’s annual Earth Day Clean Up and encourage new residents to join in this spring.”

For more information, contact organizers at (905) 849-5501 and/or [email protected].,