Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup success in Ottawa!

By Gayle McClelland, Project & Event Manager, WWF-Canada
Despite the pouring rain, spirits weren’t dampened on the biggest-ever Ottawa Kick Off for the Great Canadian Shoreline Clean Up. More than 150 people teamed up, grabbed a tally sheet, donned some work gloves and went to work collecting more than 200 kg of garbage along the Parliament Hill shoreline.

The participants were greeted by Mayor Jim Watson and MPP Yasir Naqvi, and of course, the Panda! MP Royal Galipeau presented a certificate of recognition for the 20^th anniversary of the event to WWF’s Martin Von Mirbach.

From shoes and pants, to an ice auger, a tarp and a large sign, the array of items that were pulled from the shoreline was remarkable – not to mention the number of cigarette butts and recyclable items. The weigh station filled up quickly.
And while it was work, it was also a celebration. Presenting sponsor Loblaw had a large team on site and came with a fantastic event cake for everyone to enjoy.  The best parts for me as the site coordinator, a sparkling clean shoreline in one of our most scenic Ottawa venues and participants already asking how they sign up for next year’s event!