A group will canvas the beach for trash in the annual Community Association of Oak Bay shoreline cleanup Sept. 16.
“This is almost 10 years we’ve been doing it. It’s part of the larger scale national beach cleanup and we’ve picked up a lot of stuff sometimes, and sometimes not so much,” said organizer Joseph Blake, a CAOB member.
The CAOB cleans McNeill Bay each year as part of the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup.
Often the trash depends on the tides, with cigarette butts invariably the top garbage item. In the past they’ve disposed of a beach chair and even a baby porpoise.
“It’s mostly plastic junk and it can range from little teeny to really big,” Blake said.
They cover the bay shore tip to tip with often a dozen volunteers in addition to the CAOB members.
“Kids love to participate in this one,” Blake said.
He reminds volunteers to wear appropriate shoes for the weather and the beach and bring along rubber gloves and garbage bags.
Community Association of Oak Bay’s annual beach clean-up is Saturday, Sept. 16 starting at 9 a.m. at McNeill Bay (Beach Dr. and St. Patrick).
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