City of Cambridge begins targeted spring cleanup blitz across the city

The City of Cambridge will start a targeted spring cleanup across the city this week.

The cleanup blitz will include:

• Roadside litter pick-up, including major arterial roads (Dunbar Rd, Can-Amera Pkwy, Dundas St, Conestoga Blvd)
• Clean up around targeted storm water management ponds near neighbourhoods and trails.
• Street sweeping to clean up debris from streets
• Litter and debris removal in City parks
• Illegal dumping cleanup

As part of our spring cleanup blitz, staff with litter pickers and buckets will be out and about cleaning up litter around our community.  As well, residents may notice three street sweepers and additional City vehicles on the streets. This is due to the fact that staff will not be sharing vehicles in an effort to adhere to physical distancing requirements.

Unfortunately, the City’s annual community spring cleanup  - as well as other volunteer and corporate events  - were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and concerns about public safety in terms of ensuring physical distancing and appropriate personal protective equipment. The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks also announced that they will be postponing public and corporate cleanups until later in the year.

“I’m very pleased that a targeted city-wide spring cleanup has started today,” said Mayor Kathryn McGarry.  “Thank you to our city staff who are stepping up during the COVID-19 emergency to provide this essential service, particularly as we usually have thousands of volunteers who help us during the spring period to get our city back in shape after the winter. We appreciate the volunteers so much but community safety comes first.  We will reschedule these events when our healthcare officials determine it is safe to proceed.”

During the pandemic, the City has been working hard to keep public spaces clean and safe.  Staff are out each day picking up litter, emptying street and park waste bins and sweeping streets. As well, the Ambassador Team continues to have a dedicated presence in the downtown core areas and has increased cleaning and maintenance efforts. 

The City would like to assure residents that strict measures are in place to protect cleanup workers and members of the public.  Screening, sanitation and physical distancing steps are being followed and additional personal protective equipment (PPE) provided as required.  No interaction with the public is needed in order for staff to perform cleanup activities.

There has been an increase in the littering of personal protective equipment, such as masks and gloves, in parking lots and public spaces. The public can do their part to help keep our City clean and safe by properly disposing of items in bins and not littering items on the ground.  Residents can also report larger litter problem areas to cleanup@cambridge.ca.

As well, a reminder to residents to hold your donations to donation bins as agencies and charities have advised they are not able to collect and sort these items right now. Please wait until emergency orders are lifted so that clothing and other items don’t become unusable while being left outside in the elements and overflow from the bins.

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Primary media contact

Susanne Hiller
Director of Communications
City of Cambridge
hillers@cambridge.ca