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Bring a bag for those butts

Shoreline cleanup brings community together

Cigarette butts are the constant winner in terms of big numbers during the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup.

That’s true for anywhere, even the shores of McNeill Bay says Joe Blake, of the Community Association of Oak Bay.

“It’s a pretty clean beach. People in Oak Bay are pretty good,” he says.

The association hosts the cleanup each year, along with volunteers from the community, which they welcome again this Sept. 20.

“It takes us a couple of hours to clean the whole area,” Blake said. “We ask volunteers to wear appropriate footwear and bring a big bag if they can.”

Alongside the ridiculous amount of butts, on occasion are the unusual, including a wayward chair one year and an anchor another.

“It really is a good project, we do it every fall,” Blake said.

The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup starts around 9 a.m. on Sept. 20 at McNeill Bay.

Other areas are still seeking volunteers. Visit shorelinecleanup.ca to see other area fall shoreline events or register ahead for spring ones.