Gill Bar Cleanup
The Valley Voice,
The long-standing tradition of gathering every spring to clean up the Fraser River began back in 2007, with a small group of volunteers and a big love for our salmon and rivers. Fraser Riverkeeper hosted the first cleanup along the Fraser River in Chilliwack, BC and in the 12 years since, they have partnered with local company Woodtone to organize the event
When: 10am-1pm Saturday, March 23. Rain or Shine.
Where: End of Gill Rd.
“Over 125 tonnes of garbage collected from the Chilliwack Fraser corridor over the past 11 years is staggering,” says Woodtone representative Kevin Raffle. “Over that time, the response we have received from the community to get involved has been really inspiring. The growing movement within Chilliwack and the Fraser Valley to combat illegal dumping and the abuse of our watershed shows that the general public cares about what is happening in their backyard”.
This year the cleanup will take place on Saturday, March 23rd from 10am-1pm, rain or shine. Located at the end of Gill Road, the cleanup will be followed by the annual volunteer appreciation BBQ hosted by Restaurant 62 and a prize draw to thank our volunteers for their hard work in keeping the river safe and clean for the public and the vast ecosystems that depend on it.
Cleanup co-founder and Fraser Riverkeeper board member Lauren Hornor
We look forward to the spring cleanup all year,” says cleanup co-founder and Fraser Riverkeeper board member Lauren Hornor. “Every year the turnout is bigger and bigger, and it’s become such a tremendous generator of citizen action on the Fraser. We’re incredibly grateful for the community response, and for all our sponsors and partners who to make it a huge success.
An information table will be presented by Ocean Ambassadors Canada. Volunteers will get the chance to learn about our personal effect on water, and how we can reduce that negative impact. Wildlife Preservation Canada will also be attending, bringing news about wildlife in the area, specifically on the Western Painted Turtle which is being reintroduced to the area.
Volunteers are asked to wear warm layers, sturdy boots and bring a reusable beverage container to the event. Equipment such as gloves, bags, buckets, pickers, and high visibility vests will be provided in order to ensure that we work safely and responsibly.
Raffle reminds us, “Sadly cleanups like this are still necessary. However, with continued education, and reporting of those that harm our backwaters, the hope is that we can come together to celebrate our rivers without having to clean them up.”
The cleanup would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors.
Thank you to Kal Tire, Chilliwack Minor Baseball, Cabela’s, Restaurant 62, Gordon Food Service, Timbro Contracting, City of Chilliwack, Chilliwack Water Store, Ocean Ambassadors Canada, Bio Central, Great River Fishing, The Home Depot, Inner Vision Yoga, Eastern Valley Toilets, Wildlife Preservation Canada, Glad, Big K Clothing, Fraser Valley Salmon Society, Envision Financial, Chilliwack Bottle Depot, First Class Waste/Alpine Valley Disposal, Starbucks Coffee, HUB International, Woodtone, and Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC.
See the original article: http://www.thevalleyvoice.ca/Voice%20Stories/march%202019/fraser-river-gill-bar-cleanup-march-23-2019.htm