Rita Hamel regularly visits Martin-Luther-King Park in Montreal’s west-central borough of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, and she says cleanliness is hit or miss.
“It’s gotten a little worse. Especially after COVID,” Hamel said. “I’ve noticed people putting garbage in the big flower pots.”
Now, there’s netting and signs reminding people that flower pots aren’t trash bins. But, she said, there aren’t enough actual trash bins, and those that are available always seem to be overflowing.
“I arrive here in the morning, and they are completely full,” she said.
Borough mayor Gracia Kasoki Katahwa said her administration is looking to clean up public spaces, and is launching a cleanliness campaign to encourage residents to do their part not just in the parks, but also in the streets.
“The cleanliness of the borough is really everyone’s responsibility,” said Katahwa.
The borough is encouraging everybody to make sure they put their garbage in the right place — trash cans.
The campaign officially launched Thursday, and residents can expect to see signs and postings popping up around the borough.
The signs include turning garbage cans into makeshift basketball nets, and cutouts of referees holding up a red card, implying that littering is a foul.
She said the borough’s administration knows it needs to do its part as well, but everyone, including residents and business owners, needs to chip in.
“Keeping a borough, or public spaces clean, it’s really good for quality of life,” said Katahwa.
Littering isn’t always something people do on purpose, according to Hamel, who has been walking through Martin-Luther-King Park for 11 years.
She said people sometimes just forget their trash and need a little reminder. If she spots somebody littering, she will politely say, “Oh, you dropped something,” she said.
Ahmed Youssef is a soccer coach, and he said he often visits the park in the morning and tries to clean up some of the litter himself. He said he is worried about the kids coming to a dirty park.
He said he would like to see more city staff on duty, especially in the evening, watching for people breaking the park rules, including littering. He appreciates the borough’s awareness campaign.
“A message like this can get through,” he said.