Before the frost

October started with cooler, more seasonable temperatures, but the Speed is still warm enough to wade in. With frost on the way, we’re trying to finish our local waterway cleanups before the water gets too cold.

Over two days I biked along the river trail and pulled out everything I could reach from the bank: a Razor scooter in the shallows, fished out with a magnet, deflated basketballs and enough drink containers to stock a shelf (45 recyclables in all). A handful were Laker cans – Brewed for the Outdoors! Some drinkers seem to have taken that literally and keep returning their cans to nature.

The messiest find was an empty garbage bag whose contents were scattered down the ravine to the water’s edge, and likely beyond.

Then there was the garbage can. It was a full-size wheeled City cart lying on its side in the middle of the river, with the lid hanging open and the current swirling around it. I waded out and dragged it to shore as a heron flew overhead. Of everything that came out of the water this week, it was the only thing already labelled Garbage.

Here’s a short video of the bin coming out:

If you’d like to help with our fall cleanups, join us on October 24th at Yorklands. We’re hoping to clear the shoreline before winter storms push the debris into the water.