10 ways I want to give thanks!

Leaside Litterati

Cheryl Vanderburg is thankful to the stakeholders of Trace Manes Park including Parks, Forestry and Recreation, the Leaside Library, the Leaside Tennis Club, LABA and Pedalheads, for pulling together to keep their areas of the park clean.
Cheryl Vanderburg is thankful to the stakeholders of Trace Manes Park including Parks, Forestry and Recreation, the Leaside Library, the Leaside Tennis Club, LABA and Pedalheads, for pulling together to keep their areas of the park clean.

October is a month for Thanks-giving. And in my quest for a litter-free Leaside I have a lot to be thankful for.

Here’s my top 10 thank-you list:

#1 My sincere thanks to Harry Goldhar, the original owner of Leaside Life, and to the current owners, for their support of my Leaside Litterati column, for teaching me how to write, and for showing me that I need to live what I write, and not just preach.

#2 I’d like to thank local politicians including Councillor John Parker, Councillor Jon Burnside and MP John Carmichael, who supported my efforts, made calls as I needed and got their hands dirty at Clean Toronto Together/Earth Day events.

#3 Thanks go to the stakeholders of Trace Manes Park including Parks, Forestry and Recreation, the Leaside Library, the Leaside Tennis Club, LABA and Pedalheads, for pulling together to keep their areas of the park clean. The improvement has been huge!

#4 To the Leaside schools and churches who champion environmental issues, thank you for your leadership and involvement.

#5 To the people I see on the streets who shout out words of encouragement, stop to speak with me and often join me while I am out on my litter walks. So nice to meet and get to know you all. And thanks for your help!

#6 Thank you to the people who take the time to write to me. I read each email and learn a lot from your perspectives.

#7 Kudos to the Bayview-Leaside BIA, the hardworking Pixies, the local business owners and the Leaside Business Park for keeping their parts of Leaside clean and tidy. It makes dining and shopping locally a pleasure!

#8 Thanks to the many dog owners who poop and scoop and dispose of their poop bags responsibly. And thanks to dog owners like Wendy, who pick up other people’s dog poop – a thankless task to be sure and much appreciated.

#9 Thanks to all the homeowners who keep their curbsides and street lampposts litter free. And to people like Jeff, who keeps Talbot Park and Donegal litter free, Mary, who keeps an eye on Leonard Linton Park and the Leaside Business Park, Phil, who keeps Millwood spotless, and the many other unsung heroes who keep their local green spaces clean. The whole truly is greater than the sum of the parts.

#10 And finally, thanks to litter, ‘plogging’ has kept me in shape, I’ve met a lot of wonderful people and learned a lot about Leaside (the good, the bad, the littery) along the way.

About Cheryl Vanderburg 42 Articles
Cheryl Vanderburg writes the monthly column "Leaside Litterati." She is a local 'plogger' who combines her love of walking with picking up litter. She hopes to inspire all Leasiders to join this newest craze to stay fit and keep our neighborhood green and clean.