WATCH MORE: With food trucks and festivals right around the corner, Montreal officials want to make sure every last piece of paper and trash is picked up from its streets. Rachel Lau reports.
MONTREAL – The food trucks are out and Montreal’s greatest festivals are right around the corner – but first, city officials want to make sure that every last piece of paper and trash is picked up from its streets.
“We are working with the SDC, with everybody to provide some money so we can clean the place,” said Montreal mayor Denis Coderre on Friday.
“It’s everybody’s business.”
The city is inviting all of its residents to take part in its annual spring weekend clean-up.
“It works really well,” said Dimitrios Jim Beis, the mayor of Pierrefonds-Roxboro.
“The Public Works Department provides them with the necessary tools, the rakes, the shovels, the bags and all the necessary support that’s required.”
A de-merged town like Pointe-Claire doesn’t have the same program as Montreal, but residents say they want their city council to consider the idea.
“To kind of clean up the city a bit, I think it would be a good idea,” said one Pointe-Claire resident.
Though most municipalities like Pointe-Claire will be clearing their streets without the help of their residents, the city of Dorval is taking a page out of Montreal’s book: its organizing its own clean-up event.
“We’re really environmentally friendly,” said Heather Allard, a Dorval city councillor.
“We’ve been doing this for more than 20 years.”
The impact of this project is evident across the island of Montreal.
Last year, over 5000 people and more than 700 city workers took part.
“We have seen a lot of interest,” said Beis.
“I have personally received calls from residents who want to have neighbourhood clean-up either in their parts or in their streets.”
For Allard, it’s not just about involvement, it’s also about raising awareness.
“One goal is education, because we have to educate everybody all the time,” she said.
“The best ambassadors are young children.”
Anyone who wants to get involved in the clean-up can find more information on the City of Montreal’s website.
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