The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup rolled in on a high note this year with events scheduled across the country. The week-long event was initiated by the Vancouver Aquarium over a decade ago and has grown into an annual national event that aims "to promote understanding and education about shoreline litter issues by encouraging Canadians to rehabilitate shoreline areas through cleanups." In 2010 alone, there were over 45,000 registered participants at 1,200 cleanup sites collecting a total of 98,000 kg of waste.
This year the Canadian Muslim Fellowship of Scouting participated in a clean-up at the Finch Meander located in the Rouge Park. The event brought together members of the public and the Muslim community and fostered a sense of stewardship among all participants. Some of the more unusual items that were collected included discarded tires, a remote control and old mattrasses. Many of the scouts and their parents indicated that the cleanup made them reflect on the amount of stuff that gets thrown out, especially when it comes to excessive packaging. At the end of the event there was a renewed sense of pride by all participants over what was accomplished and the positive contribution that was made to the environment.
For more information about the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup, please visit: http://shorelinecleanup.ca/en