By Dan Marshall

Cleaner Communities program sees volunteer groups take to the streets to pick up litter

Sep 26, 2016 | 9:39 PM

NANAIMO — You may encounter litter pick-up crews at the side of the road for the next month in Nanaimo.

There are 10 non-profit community groups taking part in the Partners in a Cleaner Community program, which runs until October 21st.

City of Nanaimo sanitation manager Charlotte Davis says groups typically take on seven to ten kilometre areas that don’t have regular trash pick-up.

“The city invites volunteers from local community groups to come up and help us clean up our community. We provide all the equipment and also payment, at $50 a kilometre, for these volunteers to come out and do some litter picking,” said Davis. 

Davis says the groups include local churches, scouts and guides, and the Lions club.

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The program did have space for more groups this year, and she hopes to see more non-profits sign up for the 2017 program in the spring.

“We have ten community groups. It happens twice a year, in the spring and in the fall I invite groups to apply. “You need to be a not for profit group and that’s basically the only requirement. Then you come in and we give you safety training and then you take part in both litter pick sessions, said Davis.”

She encourages motorists to watch out for volunteer crews in areas like Departure Bay road, Rutherford road, and Bowen road while the program is going on.