A group of 16 volunteers cleaned Flinty’s Boardwalk as part of the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup challenge on Saturday, June 13.
Led by Danielle Yungwirth, volunteers ranging in age from two to 78 collected 1,268 pounds of garbage.
The group’s haul included rotten lumber, toys, a fire extinguisher, a fishing rod and trash – to name but a few.
“I don’t think you can have a bad clean-up,” said Yungwirth. “If someone showed up and garbage is getting picked up, then we are making a difference. It was amazing to have people who were so willing to dedicate their Saturday afternoon to this cause.”
Sadly, Yungwirth says a volunteer found a family pet that been disposed of along the boardwalk.
“We have an SPCA in Flin Flon,” she said.
This year marked the third shoreline clean up in the community, with about 830 fewer pounds of garbage collected this year compared to last.
“Which is a good thing,” Yungwirth said. “This means our efforts are making a difference.”
Less garbage
Though there was considerably less garbage this year, the group still managed to locate some unusual items, such as a doll’s head, a rotten wire spool and a makeshift anchor made of gears and ropes.
The group cleaned from the start of the boardwalk all the way to the bottom of the stairs at the other end of Ross Lake.
Yungwirth had hoped to tackle Second Valley but didn’t have enough people to get it done.
“This will be another project for later in the summer,” she said. “I get so angry when I see people treating our beautiful surroundings with disrespect.”
A self-proclaimed nature lover, Yungwirth said she wants to help preserve the waterways, the natural surroundings and the environment.
“Everything we toss into the trash or onto the ground has the potential to end up in our waterways,” she said. “Water bodies and the areas immediately surrounding them are full of wildlife and are very sensitive areas.”
