The Oakville Community Centre For Peace, Ecology and Human Rights

65 NATURE SITES SET FOR THE 2024 EARTH DAY CLEAN UP IN OAKVILLE!

The 33rd annual Earth Day Clean Up of Oakville Nature Sites is organized by the:

Oakville Community Centre for Peace, Ecology and Human Rights,
P.O. Box 52007, Oakville, ON L6J 7N5
(905) 849-5501, info@oakvillepeacecentre.org, oakvillepeacecentre.org

FOR A CLEAN, GREEN, LITTER-FREE OAKVILLE ON SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 9 AM

“The 33rd annual Earth Day Clean Up of Oakville Nature Sites will take place on Saturday,
April 20 beginning at 9 am sharp at most of the sixty-five nature sites now scheduled for cleaning up,” remarked Stephen Dankowich, co-Founder and Executive Director of the Oakville Community Centre for Peace, Ecology and Human Rights (OCCPEHR).

“Join in with millions of people around the world who will be doing something positive for the protection of the natural environment and all living things on Earth Day by pitching-in at the annual Oakville Clean Up. While April 22nd is the actual Earth Day, first celebrated in 1970, we organize our event to coincide as close as possible to this date,” he added.

The Theme for the 33rd annual event is that we are “For a clean, green, litter-free Oakville.”

HOW TO REGISTER FOR THE EARTH DAY CLEAN UP

Residents and students are encouraged to pitch-in at any of the listed Clean Up Nature Sites!

We encourage everyone to register by e-mail early on, thank you very much!

Send an e-mail to info@oakvillepeacecentre.org to let us know which site you will be pitching-in at.

Also, please let us know how many other people might be with you in your e-mail and if you or others are high school students who will receive a Form Letter acknowledging your volunteer hours that morning or afternoon.

We will then contact the Site Coordinator at that location to let them know of your interest in pitching-in at their site and to be ready to welcome you on Saturday, April 20th at their sign-in table.

You are welcome to also contact us by telephone at (905) 849-5501 to confirm your participation in the Earth Day Clean Up or to answer any queries you may have about volunteering at this community-wide environmental Earth Day event.

You can also register on the day at the site. See you there!

THE LIST OF 67 CLEAN UP LOCATIONS BY WARD AND COORDINATOR

WARD ONE (7 Sites)

• Bronte Bluffs Park: Harry Shea and the Bronte Village Residents Association (BVRA) tidy up the western side of Bronte Harbour.
• Bronte Creek Provincial Park: Joanne Wright and Louise Fortier of The Friends of Bronte Creek Park welcome you to Ontario’s largest urban park; receive bags and gloves upon entry.
• Bronte Harbour (Meet at East Street and Ontario Street): Lesley McVean rallies the wider neighbourhood starting from this intersection.
• Bronte Road and QEW Carpool: Join Peter Vandermyden’s family and a long-time crew.
• Burloak Drive and QEW green spaces: Emillie Kraft is joined by employees of The Gap led by Chelsea Burke (Meet in the Kelsey’s parking lot for cleanup also along the creek on Riocan Drive located at the far east corner parking lot by the bridge).
• Lakeshore Woods (Great Lakes Boulevard & Creek Path Avenue): Linda and Lauren Zylik distribute supplies to four various pick-up spots being tidied up including Nautical Park and Creek Path Woods.
• Valleyridge Park and trails: Susan Dane and the Halton Outdoor Club will be hiking around these beautiful trails while scouring the terrain for waste; coffee available, bring your own mug!

WARD TWO (10 Sites)

• Aldercrest Park (located behind Loyola SS on Blackthorn Place): Park Ambassador Cathy Buchanan extends her volunteerism to include being the Site Coordinator here.
• Burnet Street Park: Beginning 9:30 am, tidy up Waterworks Park as well with Lesley Henshaw and the West Harbour Residents Association (WHRA).
• Coronation Park: Seema and Pradeep Nambiar with the Organization of Oakville Keralites encourage Appleby College students, local high school students and others to pitch-in here.
• Forster Park and Hogs Back Park (Meet at St. Aidan’s Anglican on Queen Mary Drive): Joe Williams, Nicole Leblanc and the West River Residents Association (WRRA) promote the Clean Up with street signage.
• Glen Oak Creek Trail at Monastery Drive: University student Erik Brodner and Dad Ken Derakshan set-up across from the Monastery Bakery.
• Hopedale Park: Earl and Sharon Weise contribute to a more litter-free neighbourhood.
• Indian Ridge Trail (Meet at the entrance to the trails on Lindsay Drive): Donna Sheppard and the South Peel Naturalists’ Club (SPNC) enjoy protecting green spaces for birds.
• Kerr Street North and the North Service Road West: AFTERNOON SITE FROM 2-4 PM; (Meet at the entrance to Il Fornello across from the Winner’s plaza). Site Coordinators Ann Osana and Dagmar Wilhelm encourage High School students and others to pitch-in here!
• Kinoak Arena and Brook Valley Park: Toaster and Sabrina Dementros of The Oakville Independents welcome the neighbourhood to meet in the arena’s parking lot.
• Woodhaven Park and Sedgewick Forest: Tracy Ehl Harrison’s family and friends look forward to the Clean Up each year. All are welcome! Meet at Woodhaven Park.

WARD THREE (8 Sites)

• Busby Park: Beginning 9:30 am, Executive Director Stephen Cull and CharterAbility.com welcome you to clean up along the Sixteen Mile Creek. Meet behind the Central Library under the overhead Randall Street bridge. Take a boat ride on the Sixteen this summer with Stephen.
• Clearview Park: On Saturday, May 4 at 9 am, the Clearview Oakville Community Alliance (COCA) encourages residents to pick up a bag and gloves and pitch-in to tidy up their section of this geographically large neighbourhood in east Oakville bordering Mississauga.
• Dunvegan Park and Ardleigh Park: Residents living around and along Maple Grove Drive can pitch-in with the team from St. Cuthbert’s Anglican and Site Coordinators David Aylward, Dawn Seto and Malcolm Little.
• Gairloch Gardens: Beginning at 10 am, pitch-in with David Bird and the Chartwell Maple Grove Residents Association (CMGRA).
• Lakeside Park, Lakefront and Lighthouse: Oakville Museum Programmer Preeya Nayee welcomes you to collect your bags and gloves from inside the Oakville Museum.
• Maple Grove Park and Arena: Elizabeth Chalmers and the Joshua Creek Residents Association (JCRA) clean up the Joshua Valley Park trails along the creek, too.
• Oakville Curling Club: The Trafalgar Chartwell Residents Association (TCRA) bring members and residents together here.
• Perkins Passage: Gather across from the Oakville Humane Society for the cleanup of parks and greenspaces on the south and north sides of Cornwall Road from Trafalgar to Chartwell, Post Park, Maple Valley Park and the Cornwall Sports Park. Site Coordinator Monica Malhotra and sons Nikhil, Joshan and Jayen Chopra welcome you here. Enjoy Panago Pizza at the conclusion of the event here.

WARD FOUR (15 Sites)

• Arbourview Park: Pitch-in with Jennifer Horner and members of Oakville Titans Football, a local not-for-profit sports group for players aged nineteen and under. Go Titans!
• Bloomfield Park: Stephen and Connie Wei will direct you to help clean up trails going north.
• Glen Abbey Trail: Nicole and Paul Panabaker meet at the Glen Abbey Gate trail entrance across from Abbey Park High School.
• Castlebrook Park: Rashed Chowdhury and neighbours will tidy up the trails and ravines.
• Glen Oak Creek Trail North (Meet at Fourth Line and Upper Middle Road): Denise Severin-Prior and Brett Prior coordinate the Clean Up here between the ravines and along the beautiful Taplow Creek trails.
• Heritage Way Park: Pitch-in with Weidong Zhu and the Glen Abbey Neighbourhood Association (GANA); Meet at the Merchant Gate Trail entrance on west-side of Merchants Gate.
• Langtry Park: Devnand Nambiar, a university student and member of H2O Canada Youth and Ontario Heroes encourages Glen Abbey students and others to join him here.
• Millstone Park: Realtors Bill and Marlene Keay welcome your participation.
• Nottinghill Park: David Kantor and the Federation of North American Explorers, a Catholic faith youth group, gather here to tidy up the broader neighbourhood.
• Ravine at Third Line and Upper Middle Road (Next to TD Bank): Amy Young welcomes you to pitch-in here.
• 16 Hollow Park and area trails: Sharon Brodner directs volunteers here.
• Sandpiper Road and Pheasant Lane: Kimberly Sziraky and family tidy up south to Upper Middle Road.
• Stratus Parkette: Site Coordinator Raj Patel is pitching-in here. Join in!
• Summit Ridge Drive Trails: Site Coordinator needed!
• Westoak Trails Park: New Site Coordinator Ailyn Dulgar-Tulloch will greet you here.
• Woodgate Woods: Voula Caffrey and family engage the community here.

WARD FIVE (9 Sites)

• Harman Gate Park: Laura Shaw and family look forward to your participation.
• Martindale Park: Bruno Sousa of the Green Party of Oakville welcomes volunteers here.
• Memorial Park: Gita Zoghi meets volunteers on Hays Boulevard.
• Memorial Park Playground: Councillor Jeff Knoll and the Film.ca Cinemas team will meet volunteers here and attend to the trails east of Sixth Line, south to River Oaks Boulevard East.
• Munns Creek Park and Margot Street Park: Parks Ambassador David Stefan leads here with everyone meeting at the entrance to Munns Creek Trail Park and trails on Munns Drive just northeast of River Oaks Public School.
• Oxford Park: Michelle and Jeff Sholdice take good care of their neighbourhood.
• River Glen Park: Geoff and Mary Hospital have staffed this site since 2011. Pitch-in!
• Sheridan College: Stephane Dagenais and Treetops Estates residents meet on the west side of Marlborough Court and welcome students and other neighbours to join them.
• Sixth Line and Glenashton Drive: First-year Site Coordinator Simon Mak and the Catalyst Network will begin their cleanup going south from this intersection.

WARD SIX (10 Sites, 3 just added)

• Algrove Park: Councillor Tom Adams welcomes residents to join him here.
• Bayshire Woods Park: Remax realtor Paul Butler has been dedicated to his community every year since 2013 and organizes an extensive cleanup of this north-east neighbourhood.
• Glenashton Drive Bridge and Ravines: Don Meade, OCCPEHR Board Member greets you here for the Morrison Valley North ravine cleanup extending between Upper Middle Road and Postridge Drive.
• Glenashton Park and Iroquois Ridge Community Centre: Jinglie Dou and the Oakville Chinese Senior 99 Association meets every Saturday morning at the IRCC and had the greatest attendance last year. From the Centre, the group will cleanup Glenashton Park, too.
• Iroquois Shoreline Woods (Grand Boulevard and Upper Middle Road East): Tracy Zhou distributes bags and gloves from this intersection for this site which once upon a time was how far Lake Ontario used to extend north in Oakville.
• The Brownstones: Leslie Osborne and team meet at 300 Ravineview Way, by the mailbox kiosk for their ravine cleanup.
• Valleybrook Park: AFTERNOON SITE FROM 2-4 PM. Also, clean up along Upper Middle Road from Trafalgar Road to Ford Drive as well as the Sheridan Valley Trails and parks south of Upper Middle Road with Site Coordinator Joni Babulal.

TWO MORE LOCATIONS ADDED IN WARD SIX: Pinery Park and Litchfield Park. Elite3Team continue their cleanup efforts by staffing the Pinery Park site while the Outreach Committee with St. Simon’s Anglican Church are coordinating the cleanup this spring beginning at Litchfield Park. AND, ONE LOCATION RETURNING AGAIN IN 2024: Forest Glade Walkway and Site Coordinators Colin and Norma John welcome the neighbourhood to pitch-in with them here.

WARD SEVEN (8 Sites)

• Buttonbush Woods Park: Pitch-in with Oakvillegreen Conservation Association Stewardship Coordinator Danilo Jovanovic and also learn more about their tree planting and other eco initiatives.
• Fowley Park: Join Ajaypal Rosha, the Site Coordinator who got things moving for the Clean Up in Oakville, north of Dundas Street, beginning in 2018.
• George Savage Park: Councillor Nav Nanda and President Ron Chhinzer of the North Oakville Ward Seven Resident Association look forward to seeing you here.
• Gladeside Pond: Meet across from Fortinos to also pitch-in at Neyagawa Woods Park and the Shannon Creek North Trail with Site Coordinators Serguei and Natalia Doubov.
• Isaac Park and green space north of Dundas Street: Mamta Rosha welcomes you.
• Lions Valley Park: Beginning at 10 am, Husnain Zakaria and the Islamic Centre of North America (Oakville Chapter) tidy up this beautiful green space and great place for a picnic.
• Palermo Park: Mr. Arpit Mittal, Oakville representative for the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh encourages your participation at this park near the hospital.
• William Rose Park: Sehaj Rosha is a university student who encourages Ward Seven students and others to join him here.

NEW SITES CAN STILL BE SET UP
“Please contact us if anyone would like to become a new Site Coordinator. There are a few more beautiful nature sites that could be cleaned up for Earth Day this spring with your assistance,” said Mr. Dankowich. “Pitch-in!”

“We are seeking new Site Coordinators in Ward Two for Old Abbey Lane and for Valleywood Court. In Ward Four, a new Site Coordinator is sought for the Summit Ridge Drive and Trails site. Also, in Ward Five a Site Coordinator is needed to staff the Pelee Woods Park site. You can also set-up a new location elsewhere as well or where you live.

TWO AFTERNOON SITES IN 2024 FROM 2 PM TO 4 PM ON SATURDAY, APRIL 20
Not everyone can attend the morning Clean Up and a lot of high school students prefer to sleep in on Saturday mornings so we are very pleased to announce that there are two afternoon sites that residents can pitch-in at, including:

1. KERR STREET & NORTH SERVICE ROAD WEST:
   We will again be cleaning up the green spaces from the bend at Kerr Street North and the North Service Road all the way west to Dorval Drive. This is a Ward Two site. Meet at the plaza entrance near the Il Fornello restaurant located across from the Winner’s plaza and near the Canadian Tire. Starbucks is donating coffee and baked goods to be enjoyed at quite a few Clean Up sites including this one.
2. VALLEYBROOK PARK ON UPPER MIDDLE ROAD, EAST OF EIGHTH LINE:
   Clean up the park and along Upper Middle Road from east of Trafalgar Road to Ford Drive. We will also be cleaning up the Sheridan Valley Trails south of Upper Middle Road. This is a Ward Six site.

PANAGO PIZZA AND STARBUCKS COFFEE+BAKED GOODS: Hey, hey, hey! Afternoon volunteers at Kerr Street North and Valleybrook Park will enjoy a pizza party thanks to PANAGO PIZZA who wants to keep your energy up while volunteering! Ferdows Ayam and Sarya Ayam of PANAGO PIZZA ON CORNWALL ROAD will also be baking pies all Saturday morning for volunteers at twelve different Clean Up sites in southeast Oakville. Please also note that new owner Ketan Patel of PANAGO PIZZA ON NEYAGAWA BOULEVARD just south of Dundas Street is also baking dozens of pies for volunteers in Ward Seven and other nearby Clean Up sites. These donations are GREATLY appreciated and will be greatly enjoyed by lots of volunteers! STARBUCKS is providing coffee for seven northeast Clean Up sites and baked goods for another twelve north Oakville Clean Up locations.

BUILDING ON OUR MOST SUCCESSFUL CLEAN UP EVER LAST YEAR
“Last year, there was a record number of nature sites cleaned up by a record number of volunteers who removed a record amount of garbage!

More than 1,400 volunteers at seventy-two sites pitched-in to haul away 7.1 metric tonnes of garbage and .86 metric tonnes of metal in 2023. This was trucked away by Miller Waste Systems that afternoon. The total weight of all items was 18,400 lbs. The garbage truck is paid for by Halton Region Waste Management, thank you very much!

We welcome all suggestions for ensuring a successful Clean Up of Oakville’s beautiful parks, ravines, trails, wood lots and lakefronts this spring,” Mr. Dankowich added.

“Safety is the #1 issue at the annual Earth Day Clean Up. This community-wide event is an activity that can be attended in a relatively safe and healthy manner. The Clean Up is an open-air event taking place in wide open spaces.

Garbage bags and disposable gloves in various sizes will be available on site. You are encouraged to bring your own cloth or leather work gloves, reaching sticks and other pick-up tools. People will be asked to sign-in for the purpose of assisting future organizing,” said the event coordinator.

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO RECEIVE FORM LETTER FOR TIME SPENT VOLUNTEERING
“High school students can earn two to three volunteer hours by pitching in, too. Site Coordinators will have a form letter to give students upon completion of their assignment on Saturday, April 20th which you will take to your Guidance Department or Principal on Monday after the event. Bring your own form letter if your school issues them. Come as a team of friends,” he noted.

COORDINATORS WILL GREET YOU AT EACH LOCATION WITH BAGS, GLOVES AND A SMILE!
“Sixty-seven sites are now confirmed for this year’s Clean Up! This builds on recent momentum! Way to pitch-in, Oakville!

At each Clean Up site, volunteers will be greeted by Site Coordinators who will have bags, disposable gloves in various sizes, and hand sanitizer for you to use that have been provided by the Town’s Parks and Open Space Department. There will also be available smaller biodegradable bags supplied by Pitch-In Canada that are great for kids to use at the event.

Site Coordinators are the real backbone of this environmental event which began modestly in 1992 with thirty volunteers at just one site along the Twelve Mile Creek at Bronte Road and the QEW. Thank you, site coordinators!

The Clean Up has flourished into a widely anticipated annual activity that tens of thousands of Oakville residents and students have participated in over the past three plus decades. We are making a BIG difference for our local natural environment!

Site Coordinators have stepped forward to serve their neighbourhood and have been the public face of this activity. It is thanks to their dedication and devotion to the local natural environment and to building community in Oakville that this event has been so successful in accomplishing its goals,” enthused Mr. Dankowich.

THIS CAMPAIGN HAS MANY GOALS
Our five goals are to:
(1) promote awareness and respect for nature and Oakville’s many waterways.
(2) beautify local neighbourhoods.
(3) build community through environmental activism.
(4) protect wildlife.
(5) increase awareness of the need to protect biodiversity in Oakville.

THE COMMUNITY RALLIES TO SPONSOR THIS EVENT
“This community-wide environmental event is sponsored primarily by the Town of Oakville’s Parks and Open Space Department, Halton Region Waste Management, Film.ca Cinemas, Panago Pizza and Starbucks as well as many local businesses, eight Resident Associations, faith groups and community organizations.”

FREE SMALL BOX OF POPCORN COUPON FROM FILM.CA CINEMAS FOR ALL VOLUNTEERS
All volunteers will receive a Coupon for a free small box of popcorn to enjoy compliments of Film.ca Cinemas at their movie theatre located on Speers Road between Kerr Street and Dorval Drive. Please support this community-based theatre year-round and enjoy the magic of movies!

THE EVENT PROCEEDS RAIN OR SHINE
“The earth and all living things need our care. We thank everyone for their past and continuing involvement in Oakville’s annual Earth Day Clean Up and encourage new residents to join in this spring,” he added.

“Please contact the organizers at (905) 849-5501 and/or info@oakvillepeacecentre.org for more information, to get involved, or to organize your own new Clean Up site. Try to make every day an Earth Day,” concluded Mr. Stephen Dankowich, Event Coordinator with brother Paul Dankowich for thirty-three years!

PLEASE SUPPORT THE ORGANIZERS BY VOLUNTEERING AND DONATING
This event is organized by the Oakville Community Centre for Peace, Ecology and Human Rights, an incorporated, HST registered, not-for-profit social movement organization founded in 1992.

Memberships are $20 for individuals and students; donate what you can to support community activism. We are registered as a not-for-profit organization however we are not a charitable organization capable of issuing tax receipts.

Thank you very much!