As the snow continues to melt away — along with the memories of what seemed to be an endless winter — the once pristine blanket of white leaves behind in its wake no shortage of trash that had been hidden from view over the past many months.
To tidy up the streets and parks, the municipality plans to continue an annual initiative to collect the accumulation of refuse that has found its way into ditches, yards and open spaces.
A collaborative commitment between the Town of Sundre and the Downtown Area Revitalization Committee has resulted in the upcoming fourth annual Sundre Spring Clean.
“The spring clean project drives forward multiple community initiatives that allow residents to create a cleaner Sundre through education and active participation. These initiatives include the Community Clean Up and the Kick It To The Curb events,” the municipality announced last week in a press release.
We think that officials and volunteers who lead the charge on these spring cleanup programs should be commended for their efforts, which go a long way to beautifying the community ahead of the busy camping season when many visitors come through. After all, what better way to welcome them than by putting our best foot forward?
Some people note that many tourists just drive through Sundre on their way to the West Country. There is undoubtedly some truth to this assertion.
So we think that sprucing up our small town and making it more appealing is an important step in giving visitors more incentive to want to spend some time in the community to check things out before they set up camp in the backcountry.
The Community Clean Up runs in partnership with the Sundre High School’s May Queen event as well as the revitalization committee. The groups are seeking to gather volunteers to help clean up local roads on Saturday, May 12 starting at 10 a.m. at the traffic lights.
“The first priority will be sweeping the sidewalks on Main Avenue and Centre Street, and assuming there will be enough volunteers, they will then move on to pick up garbage in the green spaces. Garbage bags will be supplied, and volunteers are asked to please bring their own gloves,” reads the release.
That same day from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. is the Kick It To The Curb program when residents are granted an opportunity to place unwanted items outside on their lawns with a flyer or a note stating “free” attached to it.
“Tour around with your family and take home any treasures with a note attached to repurpose or reuse,” states the release.
“The initiative is not only a great way to kick-start your spring cleaning, but it also serves as a chance to explore your community and get to know your neighbours.”
Any and all items that remain unclaimed must be placed back indoors the following day by 11 p.m.
We applaud this effort and encourage anyone who can to get involved.
— Ducatel is the Round Up’s editor
