Take Pride’s annual Litter Index spotlights Winnipeg’s dirtiest areas, looks for help cleaning up

The city’s dirtiest neighbourhoods and streets are being revealed as part of Take Pride Winnipeg’s annual Litter Index and the organization is hoping it will lead to more people helping to clean up.

Throughout 2023, Take Pride members drove through 500 kilometres of city streets and came up with a rating out of 10 for each street and wider area.

The Northwest part of the city topped the list with a 6.8 rating, followed by the West End at 6.3, Downtown at 6.1, North Central at 6, South Winnipeg at 5.94 and St. Boniface at 5.9.

When it came to specific streets, Take Pride Executive Director Tom Ethans says there were several streets in the south that received a 10, including Kenaston Boulevard and the South Perimeter Highway between Pembina Highway and the Brady Road Landfill.

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“Not only just plastic bags, and cups, but along South Kenaston, you’ll find the occasional garbage bag tossed out the window, because they didn’t want to go to the landfill and its just awful,” Ethans told 680 CJOB’s The Jim Toth Show.

He also says Empress Street between St. Matthews Avenue and Sargent Avenue is a mess.

“The amount of litter there would take 20 people a couple hours and 50-60 bags to clean up.”

And Ethans hopes there are some eager Winnipeggers who are willing to get out and pick up the trash before it piles too high.

Anyone interested in helping volunteer can reach out to Carrie@takepride.mb.ca.

“Individuals, families, school groups, businesses, community groups, we’ll get you set up with bags, gloves, etc. and get you out there to do some cleanup,” Ethans said.

But he says, first and foremost, Winnipeggers need to stop tossing trash where it’s not supposed to go.

“It is laziness, and thinking that it’s someone else’s job, but it’s your job to take it home with you to find a garbage receptacle and dispose of it properly.”