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Volunteers remove more than three tonnes of waste from Guild Park's shore area since 2013

Writer's picture: John P. MasonJohn P. Mason

Volunteer clean-ups along the shores of Guild Park and vicinity have collected more than 3 metric tonnes (7,000+ pounds) of garbage and waste from the Lake Ontario waterfront in the past decade.


During the most recent shoreline cleanup, the volunteer team picked up 1,935 items from the area, including:

  • 798 pieces of plastic,

  • 178 cigarette butts,

  • 140 bottle caps,

  • 126 pieces of foam,

  • 101 food wrappers/food packaging, and

  • 69 beverage containers.


Below is a copy of the flyer used by Friends of Guild Park to promote Shoreline Cleanups, spring and fall 2024


The photo below shows garbage left along the unimproved Scarborough Waterfront Trail, summer 2024, below. At the time, the location lacked any garbage containers but included a City of Toronto solid waste sign, The City subsequently removed the information sign.


Some unusual items removed from the September 2024 cleanup were a drawer knob, a carabiner and a bracelet. All these items, as well as tiny plastics, broken glass and twist ties, represent dangers to wildlife that use the area as habitat.


These results are compiled by Rose Mitchell Spohn, volunteer director of Friends of Guild Park. She's organizing clean-ups along Guild Park's shore and vicinity since September 2013.


Photo below shows garbage and waste left by illegal squatters near the waterfront trail in October 2023.


After more than a decade of care and action, Rose and volunteers have cleared more than 325,000 items from the shoreline and park grounds. This includes shopping carts, tires, rusty rebar, fencing, even a discarded bicycle.


This part of Toronto's waterfront includes an unimproved trail that's the responsibility of the Toronto & Region Conservation Authority, in partnership with the City of Toronto's Parks, Forestry & Recreation (PFR) division. Photo below shows the solid waste bins installed by PFR in 2024 along the unimproved Scarborough Waterfront Trail.


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