29 Aug Over 500 pounds of trash removed from Nelson Dog Walk
Photo: S. Olszewski
On Saturday August 27th, Friends of Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society (FoKLSS) hosted a clean up and social to celebrate their 10-year anniversary.
More than 25 volunteers joined the local non-profit at the Nelson Lakeside Walk (aka the Dog Walk) to clean up the excessive amount of sharp debris littering the shoreline of one of the beaches. In just two hours they removed over 230 kilograms (500 pounds) of broken glass, metals, plastics, and other material from a 50-metre section of shoreline.
The Dog Walk used to be part of Nelson’s old landfill that extended from Cottonwood Creek east past the mall. Garbage and industrial waste were dumped in this area for decades until 1982. As a result, the Dog Walk is littered with old pieces of glass, metal, and other debris that resurface every year with wave action from Kootenay Lake, posing a potential hazard to local dog walkers, dogs, and other lake species.
“It was so surprising how much glass was found in this area. You can sit in the same spot for an hour picking up pieces- it’s never ending. We are grateful that so many people came out on Saturday to help clean up this little strip of beach. It made a huge difference. The beach was a mosaic of glass beforehand and now it is a much cleaner and safer space for dogs, their caretakers, and other lake life.- Joelle Burnie, Environmental Outreach Coordinator
After the cleanup, folks were invited to Backroads Brewing to enjoy a beer and social with the FoKLSS community. They enjoyed a game of FoKLSS Heads Up and reminisced on 10 years. Backroads Brewing was also kind enough to donate a portion of their sales from 3pm until close to FoKLSS to support stewardship and education work on the lake.
Friends of Kootenay Lake hosts cleanups year-round as one of their many stewardship initiatives. They aimsto bring like-minded individuals together, decrease risks to the lake ecosystem, and spread awareness of the pollution issue.
Special thanks to The Great Outdoors Fund administered through Unsmoke Canada, and the Nelson and District Credit Union for funding FoKLSS Beach Cleanup initiatives.
