Dear Editor:
Re: MAGIC Canada Day Cleanup
The Metrotown Area Green Improvements Coalition, also known as MAGIC, had about 25 volunteers come to the Chaffey-Burke parking lot to participate.
We collected several pails of litter from the surrounding neighbourhood streets. The most interesting find was a life-sized plaster sculpture of a woman's face.
The most common litter was cigarette butts and packs and plastic strapping from newly constructed homes.
Among the volunteers were first-term school trustee Harman Pander, Green party candidate Carrie McLaren and Eagle Creek streamkeeper Nick Kvenich.
Local businesses stepped up to the plate to support the clean-up.
Thanks to Old Orchard Marketplace IGA and Shoppers Drug Mart for providing clean-up supplies, Station Square Starbucks for providing coffee, Garbiz Removal and Recycling Ltd. for sorting and disposal of the litter, and the City of Burnaby for supplying gloves, vests, grabbers and pails for the volunteers.
Also, a sincere thanks goes to all the volunteers - young and old - who took time out of their schedules to pick up litter.
The success of this initiative has MAGIC considering making the cleanup a biannual or annual event.
The cleanup is one of a handful of green initiatives MAGIC is helping to organize. MAGIC aspires to be a neighbourhood association that advocates for environmentally friendly improvements in Metrotown and for a strong sustainable local economy.
Rick McGowan, Burnaby
