The organization Take Pride Winnipeg is revealing the city’s most polluted neighborhoods and streets through its annual Litter Index in the hope of encouraging more people to help in the cleanup effort.
Over the course of 2023, members of Take Pride drove along 500 kilometers of city streets and assigned a score out of 10 to each street and broader area.
The Northwest part of the city received the highest score of 6.8, followed by the West End at 6.3, Downtown at 6.1, North Central at 6, South Winnipeg at 5.94, and St. Boniface at 5.9.
According to Take Pride Executive Director Tom Ethans, several streets in the south, including Kenaston Boulevard and the South Perimeter Highway between Pembina Highway and the Brady Road Landfill, received a perfect score of 10.
Ethans explained, “Not only do you see plastic bags and cups, but also along South Kenaston, there are occasional garbage bags thrown out of car windows because people don’t want to go to the landfill. It's just terrible.”
He also mentioned that Empress Street between St. Matthews Avenue and Sargent Avenue is in a state of disarray.
“The amount of litter there would require 20 people and 50-60 bags to clean up over a couple of hours,” Ethans said.
Ethans is optimistic that there are willing Winnipeggers who would pick up the trash before it accumulates too much.
Those interested in volunteering can contact [email protected].
According to Ethans, “We can provide bags, gloves, and other supplies for individuals, families, school groups, businesses, and community groups who want to assist with the cleanup.”
However, he emphasizes that the primary focus should be on Winnipeggers refraining from littering in unauthorized areas.
“It comes down to laziness and the belief that it's someone else's responsibility, but in reality, it's everyone's duty to take their trash home or to a proper disposal location,” he stated.
