Spring Cleanup

The snow is gone and the accumulated litter is piling up — please join us in cleaning up the community!

On April 27, pick up your kit from the RSCA tent at Rideauview Community Centre (4310 Shoreline Drive) between 1pm and 3pm and then go to your chosen clean up area. RSCA volunteers will be available to help you choose a location and avoid duplication of effort.

Ottawa Fire Services will be on site with one of their fire engines for the community to take a peek at from 1pm to 2pm!

This is also a great opportunity for high school students looking to complete community involvement hours! Students: remember to bring your volunteer hour sheet with you and one of our RSCA members will sign it for you.

Some basic safety rules include:

• Never touch a needle with your hands. Follow safe pickup procedures, or call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401) for assistance.
• Wear gloves and appropriate footwear.
• Wear pants and long-sleeved shirts.
• If cleaning near a roadway, wear a safety vest and clean only the non-travelled portion of a roadway.
• Do not lift heavy objects.
• Supervise children in their cleanup efforts and emphasize that safety comes first.
• There must be one adult present for every six children less than 12 years of age and you must obtain consent from the legal guardian of those participants.
• Children must never touch items like glass, broken wood, metal, needles, or household hazardous waste. It’s a good idea to double up your garbage bags for transporting these items.
• Be aware of your surroundings and the potential hazards (i.e. poison ivy, wild parsnip, streams and branches) and remember to put on protective eyewear as necessary.
• The blacklegged tick that carries the bacteria that can cause Lyme disease is present in the Ottawa area, across Eastern Ontario, and the Outaouais region of Quebec.