'It's my way of dealing with climate change:' Windsor man cleans up Gateway Park
Alex Conroy has collected close to 50 bags worth of litter
For Alex Conroy, the amount of trash at his neighbouring green space — Gateway Park — had become too much to ignore.
Conroy has been litter collecting for about four years, but his recent stint at the park has yielded vast amounts of garbage.
"Last Monday I started out with about 35 bags ... Now it's close to 50," he told CBC News.
Gateway Park is a linear green space that runs from Riverside Drive to Wyandotte Street. In 2021, the city struck a 99-year deal with the Detroit River Tunnel Company that would see the city maintain and revitalize the area.
Getting outside
Since the pandemic, Conroy said that he's found it harder and harder to get outside for fresh air.
"With the whole work from home thing, it's harder to get out I feel," he said.
"You do get some support from the community, as people walk by they tend to encourage you ... It's sort of soothing, it is nice to walk through here."
Jim Leether is waste collections contracts and operations administrator for the City of Windsor. He helps to run the city's Clean Sweep program, which wants to encourage individuals clean up their communities.
He said that there has been more uptake in this program since COVID-19 restrictions were lifted.
"It's a great program .. We've seen a jump in numbers from last year to this year [and] it's a great way to get out and enjoy the weather, and participate in the community," Leether said.
The annual program also provides garbage bags, gloves and safety advise — especially when navigating settings where there could be objects that are sharp or overly heavy.
I don't really know what else to do about climate change, and it's worrying- Alex Conroy
But, Leether said that residents should always be careful when out litter picking and, if in doubt, they should report any hazardous garbage to the city, who can always help to dispose it.
Climate conscious
For Conroy, litter collecting is a way he can remain conscious of various environmental crises.
"I don't really know what else to do about climate change, and it's worrying," he said. "Picking up garbage isn't really changing anything about the parts per million in the atmosphere that I think people should be worried about a lot more than they are ... This is just my way of dealing with it."
"I've been doing this for four years, but this is the first time I've partnered with Windsor Of Change and they have more broad information about climate change," he said.
"A group effort would really go a long way."
WATCH | What it's like to spend an hour cleaning up with Conroy
