Malcolm Gorrill
Northern News Services
Inuvik (Jun 15/01) - Bit by bit, residents have been cleaning up the town over the past few weeks.
Community beautification week ran from May 25 to June 1, with May 31 being business cleanup day, but cleanup efforts were still going strong last week.
Brian Desjardins, tourism/fund-raising co-ordinator for the town, explained that some areas simply couldn't be cleaned until the snow melted.
From May 25 to June 1, there was no tipping fee for commercial loads at the dump. That was extended an extra week (there's never a tipping fee for residential loads).
This marks the second year in a row residents have banded together to clean up garbage, whether it be around their own homes, or in zones needing cleanup (such as the soccer field, which volunteers were spotted picking over Sunday morning).
"Business participation has lessened the burden of these non-profit groups cleaning up their zones," Desjardins said Friday. "Visibly, already this town is even cleaner than last year."
He said many companies got involved this year, such as Parks Canada and MACA.
"One company, Mackenzie Delta Hotel Group, in partnership with Danny Smith of Dolomite Investments -- they hired labourers for this whole week, specifically to clean up garbage throughout the downtown core," Desjardins said.
"They were even cleaning up garbage on properties that weren't theirs. So I think that was just fantastic."
Desjardins is encouraged by what he's seeing.
"Beautification is happening, the attitude is changing, pride is coming about."
