Skip to content

Volunteer Airdrie participating in annual highway clean-up this Saturday

“Especially around the overpass areas, those are extremely littered this year,” Maffitt said. “We’ve gotten reports that there’s an unusual amount of litter around the overpasses, so it will take a lot of effort to get it all cleaned up.”
clean web 6
Volunteer Airdrie Society is once again taking part in the annual province-wide highway clean-up initiative on May 6. File photo/Airdrie City View

Volunteer Airdrie Society is seeking some last-minute volunteers to participate in the organization's annual highway clean-up initiative this Saturday. 

Society president Dave Maffitt said as of Wednesday afternoon, approximately 15 people had committed to supporting the yearly clean-up this weekend, but ideally there would be between 30 and 40 helping out this weekend. 

“We could definitely use some more help,” he said. 

Volunteer Airdrie's annual highway clean-up is part of a province-wide initiative to clean the ditches along some of Alberta's major thoroughfares. The program is sponsored by Alberta Highways. 

As their contribution to the project, Volunteer Airdrie is tasked with picking up the litter in the ditches on both sides of the road along a 15-kilometre stretch of the Queen Elizabeth II Highway. The section stretches from the northern tip of Airdrie city limits south to the Balzac overpass at Highway 566.

“Especially around the overpass areas, those are extremely littered this year,” Maffitt said. “We’ve gotten reports that there’s an unusual amount of litter around the overpasses, so it will take a lot of effort to get it all cleaned up.”

Since they're responsible for both sides of the highway, Maffitt said the section equates to 30 kilometres of clean-up in total.

“We have 10 zones in total, each about three kilometres long,” he said. “We’ll equip [volunteers] with bags, vests, and gloves, and them shuttle them out with a driver who will support them that morning.”

The organization's 'base camp' for Saturday's clean-up will be the parking lot of Quest Braces in Sierra Springs, which used to be a Boston Pizza.

Maffitt said the clean-up will start with a brief safety orientation at 8:30 a.m. After that, shuttles will ferry teams of three to four volunteers out to a designated zone of the highway, and the clean-up should be completed by 12:30 or 1 p.m.

“We only send teams of three or four people to each of the 10 zones. Ideally, what they do is walk side-by-side down the ditch together to collect litter,” he noted.

Due to the ongoing construction of the 40 Ave. highway interchange, Maffitt said the 10 zones have been modified this year, and the highway clean-up will not be taking place along that construction site. 

This is the sixth year Volunteer Airdrie has taken part in the annual highway clean-up. The reason the province-wide event takes place in early May each year is due to the proliferation of litter along Alberta's roadways throughout the winter that reveals itself after all the snow has melted.

“I think it’s spring and spring cleaning seems to be the flavour of the day,” Maffitt said. “I’m getting lots of requests from people in the community who want to do spring clean-ups in their neighbourhood. I think it’s that arrival of spring. Everyone wants to get out and enjoy the weather. It’s just an ideal time to get out, meet some new people, and get some fresh air.”

The clean-up isn't just a way to beautify the stretch of highway along Airdrie, but also a way to meet neighbours and contribute to a good organization. Maffitt said Volunteer Airdrie will receive $50 from the provincial government for each kilometre it cleans on Saturday, which equates to a total of $1,500 if they're able to clean the entire route. He said those funds will help support Volunteer Airdrie programs and operations.

Airdronians interested in supporting the clean-up this Saturday are asked to call Maffitt ahead of time at 403-993-5034.

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks