More than 1800 kg of waste were removed on Saturday from the shores of the island of Montreal, Laval and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, at the initiative of the Mission 1000 tonnes. The organization challenged itself to clean up the shore of the St. Lawrence for 24 hours to mark World Cleanup Day.
Posted at 10:00 p.m.
Residents of nine boroughs of the metropolis were called on Saturday to take part in the big clean-up to lend a hand to the Mission 1000 tons team. The Regroupement des éco-quartiers de la Ville de Montréal invited citizens to “give love to the river”. The activity was also part of the third edition of River Day.
“There is so much information and statistics these days that [signalent] the state of the planet, pollution and biodiversity,” says Llsa Gagnon, a resident of Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, who came to help clean up the beach at Parc Bellerive.
We need to mobilize, talk about it and act. I came with my children and some neighbors to do our part.
Llsa Gagnon, resident of Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve
In 2021, 20% of Canadian households used plastic straws: half of them used them once or twice a week, according to Statistics Canada in its latest household and environment survey. About 32% of households took out hot beverages in disposable containers on a weekly, and sometimes daily basis, according to the survey.
“We are trying to clean up, but also to encourage citizens to reduce their consumption of single-use plastic to prevent [les particules] end up in the environment,” underlines Jimmy Vigneux, co-founder of the Mission 1000 tonnes.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Jimmy Vigneux, co-founder of Mission 1000 tons
The project, launched in 2018, had the initial objective of collecting 10 tonnes of waste on the banks of waterways. When the team amassed over 10 tons in 75 days, and then 100 in three years, their ambition quickly grew bigger. Since then, the 1000 Ton Mission has removed more than 240 tons of trash during 1,954 cleanups around the world. “It’s growing really well,” rejoices Jimmy Vigneux.
The “no man’s land”
According to a study1 conducted by researchers at McGill University in 2020, the St. Lawrence is one of the most polluted rivers in the world, with an average concentration of 832 microplastic particles per kilogram of dry sediment. Concentration is among the highest recorded records.
They were more than sixty to have registered for the big cleaning on the beach of Bellerive Park, one of the only accesses to the river in the sector. “He is a good example to set for the children. We wanted to show that the environment is good to talk about at home, but you also have to put your hands in it, ”said Fannie Dionne, who came to remove waste on the beach with her family.
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PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
People showed up with signs, including the solidarity candidate in the riding of Camille-Laurin (formerly Bourget), Marie-Ève Rancourt (left).
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PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Children also came to lend a hand with their parents.
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PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Some trash picked up on Saturday
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PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Mathilda Next and Marion Féneux were among the volunteers on Saturday.
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The shores of the island of Montreal represent a “no man’s land”, observes Julien Hénault-Ratelle, municipal councilor for the district of Tétreaultville, present during the major clean-up in Bellerive Park.
The park, which is the responsibility of the City, is cleaned by blue collar workers. The river, for its part, comes under federal jurisdiction, so that the banks represent a jurisdiction shared between the levels of government. But the bank, as it is not on the territory of the city, nobody comes to clean it.
Julien Hénault-Ratelle, municipal councilor for the district of Tétreaultville
On the banks, we find in particular single-use plastic, plastic bottles and food packaging, notes Jimmy Vigneux. Since the start of the pandemic, the Mission 1000 Tons team has also been removing medical masks that litter the banks.
” It’s incredible ! We find many, many cigarette and glass butts,” laments Marion Féneux, who also removes waste with her friends.
“Bellerive Park is a gem in Mercier-Est. This kind of initiative also serves to raise people’s awareness of the importance of the fight against climate change,” said Marie-Ève Rancourt, candidate for Québec solidaire in the riding of Camille-Laurin, also at the meeting on Saturday after midday.
As of March 28, 2023, restaurants and food establishments will be prohibited from distributing certain single-use plastic items such as utensils, plates and cups, according to the City of Montreal by-law aimed at banning single-use plastics. unique. It remains to be seen whether this will reduce the amount of litter found on the banks.