Vancouver beaches littered with trash, alcohol containers following sunny, warm day
CBC
The vice-chair of Vancouver's Park Board has vowed to take action after one of the city's most popular stretches of beaches was left strewn with garbage over the weekend.
Brennan Bastyovansky said Saturday's summer-like weather, sunshine and a high temperature of 23 C brought thousands of people out to the waterfront from Sunset Beach to English Bay in the city's West End neighbourhood.
Although he was heartened by the festive atmosphere of people enjoying some of the warmest and sunniest weather of the year so far, he was upset over how messy some people left the area.
"It was incredibly unfortunate that people in our fair city absolutely have zero civic pride and leave their rubbish all over the sand and all over the grass," he said about the food containers, plastic, alcohol containers and boxes.
"I was really heartbroken and disappointed that the people down in English Bay treated it like a toilet."
Tom Digby, a Park Board commissioner with the Green Party of Vancouver, agreed that although many people tried to place garbage in receptacles or close by once they were overflowing, the aftermath was a problem.
"It certainly turned into an epic garbage weekend in Vancouver," said Digby.
Beach-goers posted images of the garbage on social media and complained about the litter spoiling Vancouver's natural beauty. Both Bastyovansky and Digby said they heard complaints about the litter and calls for more to be done.
Digby said he would like to see more people take responsibility for their garbage by taking it home with them.
"It's not new and my worry is it's accelerating," he said about Sunday's mess.
Similar trash problems happened in the same area last year in June, when a brilliant day of sunshine and warmth followed a long and rainy spring.
At that time dozens of volunteers went to several beaches across the city to clean up the waste left behind.
By mid-morning on Sunday this year, much of the mess had also been collected and toted away.
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