Volunteers clean-up junk from alleys in Regina’s North Central

As part of an annual clean-up, trucks hauled loads of oversized junk collected from the alleys of Regina’s North Central neighbourhood, for the eighth year in a row.

“It helps restore some pride to the community,” Executive director of the North Central Community Association Murray Giesbrecht said. “We have many people that live in the community that might not have the means to be able to dispose of a lot of this type of stuff, so having Bennett here to help do that is just incredible.”

Bennett-Dunlop Ford is the driving force behind the initiative, providing bins and trucks to haul the garbage, as well as volunteers to collect it.

“We recognize a lot of people around might not have the means with vehicles and what better way for a dealership to get involved,” General manager of Bennett-Dunlop Ford David Kohonick said. “We have lots of vehicles and lots of different trailers to help out and it’s all about giving back and it’s easy for us to get the manpower and the vehicle power.”

Around 100 volunteers spent the morning collecting everything from shopping carts and mattresses to old televisions, tires and even yard waste.

“We’re making the community cleaner, safer, everyone seems to be enjoying themselves while doing it and it’s great seeing everyone come together for a good cause,” Volunteer Breanna Bellegarde said.

For the first time, the City of Regina also donated a wood chipper to help with yard waste. It’s a massive effort for those involved, but at the end of the day, their work goes a long way.

“It’s heartwarming. This is what community is about and it just makes you feel good to be part of Regina,” Bellegarde said.

Between 2013 and 2017, more than 135 tonnes of garbage and 13 tonnes of recyclable metals were collected. Last year’s clean up alone exceeded 23 tonnes of garbage, 1.5 tonnes of recyclable metal and 193 tires.