Speed River Paddle Cleanup

Downtown Guelph’s Speed River corridor got a little cleaner this evening. On our kayak and paddleboard, we covered a stretch of river that doesn’t often get attention from the bank — and it paid off: four kilograms of debris and 38 recyclables after an hour of effort.

The find of the day? A perfectly preserved incandescent lightbulb, pulled from the river and held up against the evening sky. Every small, bright piece of garbage removed from the river makes it a little cleaner — and it all adds up over time.

The real highlight was the company. Several families of ducks with small chicks and a formation of Canada geese kept pace with us for a good stretch of river. If they could talk, we’d like to think they’d approve.