March 20 was the first day of spring, and the District of Sicamous is gearing up for spring clean-up.
Our public works team has started clearing away the remnants of fall and winter, and is moving forward to prepare our town for the tourist season.
The water main flushing program has begun, along with sewer inspections. Litter and garbage is being collected as the parks are being prepped. The public washrooms are being cleaned and serviced, ball diamonds are being prepped, potholes are being repaired and the public docks are being worked on. The mowing equipment is being serviced and will be ready to keep our parks looking trim and neat.
Residents all over the country take pride in the appearance and cleanliness of the neighborhood which they represent.
Unfortunately, individuals often do not have time to clean up the area and make it a more attractive place to live. In order to clean up your neighbourhood, organize a clean-up event and gather people from all over town to help.
Neighbourhood clean-ups can be a one-day event that occur in the spring. Clean-ups allow residents to get rid of hard-to-dispose-of items at a lower cost than what they would pay at a transfer station or other private businesses. Working together can make a difference in our neighbourhoods and our district. It’s a great way to get to know your neighbours and neighbourhood better, as well as ending up with cleaner streets.
Your highly visible work not only will boost neighbourhood pride, but help fight crime. Time and time again, in municipalities across our nation, neighbourhood crime has dropped after clean up and beautification efforts. A litter-free park, lawn or flower bed is not just a pretty sight; it is a sign of a community that cares.
In order to preserve the hard work you have done, you may wish to work with our district staff and council to keep the neighbourhood clean via litter prevention and beautification programs.
Research shows people litter for three main reasons. First, they feel no sense of ownership for a property, even a public park. Second, they think someone else will clean up after them. Third, they see litter already accumulated and think a little more will not matter. What is the message for community groups? Clean up the neighbourhood and then maintain a litter-free environment with individual and group efforts and continuing community education.
The district is hosting a two-day free community clean-up event April 22 and 23. This is your opportunity to clean up your yard and dispose of those unwanted items. We’ll even arrange for curbside pickup.
Items that will be picked up on Monday, April 22, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.: white goods only – hot water tanks, bathtubs, stoves, clothes washers and dryers. Disposal of fridges is done through BC Hydro’s PowerSmart program.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.: organic wastes – grass clippings, leaves, prunings, brush and weeds, and small branches up to six inches in diametre. Bag in clear garbage bags.
No household garbage or prohibitive items such as auto bodies or parts, toxic waste (i.e. paint cans/solvents), batteries, commercial waste.
When it comes to helping clean up the district, everyone’s got to do their part. While a clean-up program is highly visible, there is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes.
If anyone is interested in having a closer look at how our public works department operates, feel free to give the district office a call, and we will arrange to provide a tour of some of our facilities and operations.
For more information, contact the district office at 250-836-2477.
Submitted by Sicamous Mayor Darrell Trouton