Efforts to restore Sudbury's Junction Creek continue
Junction creek is 52 km long and runs through the heart of downtown Sudbury.
On Sunday a small group of volunteers had the dirty job of cleaning litter from the waterway.
From shopping carts, to needles, and a lot of plastic, it's all part of an effort to restore the creek that has been badly damaged by pollution and often used as a dumping ground.
Dressed in hip waders, Miranda Virtanen was in the middle of the creek pulling out garage.
"I have got a net full of stuff that I have collected here as you can see the Styrofoam is the most. Plastic bags, some water bottles as well, little tiny pieces of plastic fragments. Some lighters, yah you name it. it's in here there are some shoes that we found, pop cans," said Miranda Virtanen, the executive director of the Junction Creek Stewardship Committee.
Several needles were also found floating in the water.
"In different areas of the creek it's more of a hazard than others and because they float when there is the log jams, they tend to accumulate in those areas," said Virtanen.
This summer the Committee is running a free youth program called Empowering Youth for Junction Creek for teens ages 13-18.
"We have a guided hike with a wildlife naturalist who is going to teach us a little bit about the history of the creek and some of the ecology," said Lindsay Potts a Wildlife Naturalist with the Junction Creek Stewardship Committee.
"We have in stream water sampling with a water technician. Youth are going to get to participate in cross cultural teachings and learnings."
The motto of the committee is ‘creating hope through environmental restoration.
"Part of the Junction Creek Stewardship Committee's efforts is restoring the creek so that it is a healthy ecosystem and we bring back that biodiversity because Greater Sudbury in it's entirety has suffered a lot of damage through historic logging and mining," said Virtanen.
Volunteers out Sunday said it feels good to do something green.
"Sometimes environmental issues can feel very overwhelming but the best place to start is really in your own backyard and so one piece of trash at a time," said Potts.
In the past 20 years, the committee said over 84,000 kilograms of garbage has been cleaned out of the waterway and it's hopeful one day trash booms will be installed in sections of the creek.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.