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in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, A pr il 14 ,2 02 2 | 18 7491 ECNIS EM-BDBLB050RDD - NWOHS LEDOM moc.ybnaD ta srefiidimuhed fo stfieneb eht tuoba erom nraeL gnirpS ruoY niuR seigrellA teL t'noD emoh ruoy ni erutsiom tabmoc ot refiidimuheD a esU .tf .qs 000,3 ot pu secaps ni ytidimuh slortnoc :refiidimuheD )L 6.32( tniP 05 noitarepo suounitnoc rof swolla erutaef niard tceriD erutarepmet tneibma ni gnirotcaf yb ytidimuh moor lortnoc yllacitamotua lliw tinu eht :yfidimuheD tramS noitingoceR 2202 tneicffiE tsoM ®RATS YGRENE There are more than 50 sites included in this year's Earth Day Clean Up on April 23, organized by the Oakville Community Cen- tre for Peace, Ecology and Human Rights. The 31st annual event, which begins at 9 a.m., is sponsored by the Oakville parks and open space de- partment, Halton waste management, resident as- sociations, businesses, faith and community groups. "The pandemic was just starting to roar when we had to pull the plug on the April 2020 event which would have been our larg- est Earth Day Clean Up ev- er with 60 confirmed Clean Up locations throughout Oakville's seven wards," said Stephen Dankowich, co-founder and executive director of OCCPEHR. "We were all wondering what was going to happen next and when it would all end. Then, just weeks be- fore the April 2021 Clean Up, there was a new lock- down imposed and the event was once again post- poned to our great disap- pointment." Masks are optional this year, but participants are being asked to practise so- cial distancing. The community-wide event can be attended in a relatively safe and healthy manner, said Dankowich. "The Clean Up is an open-air event taking place in wide open spaces which conveniently allows for ease in social distanc- ing. We also are encourag- ing people to participate in their own family bubble," he said. Co-ordinators will be at each site with bags and dis- posable gloves to distrib- ute. People will be asked to sign in for the purpose of tracing if necessary. Masks and hand sanitizer will be available. High school students can also earn volunteer hours by participating and co-ordinators will have a letter to give to students upon completion of their participation. Co-ordinators are the backbone of this environ- mental event, said Dan- kowich. "It is thanks to their dedication and devotion to the local natural environ- ment and to building com- munity in Oakville that this event has been so suc- cessful in accomplishing its goals." "Our five goals are to promote awareness and respect for nature and Oakville's many water- ways, beautify local neigh- bourhoods, build commu- nity through environmen- tal activism, protect wild- life and increase awareness of the need to protect biodiversity in Oakville." For more information, call 905-849-5501 or email info@oakvillepeace- centre.org. EARTH DAY CLEAN UP PLANNED THINGS TO DO After a two-year absence due to the pandemic, the Earth Day Clean Up is back April 23 at more than 50 sites. Graham Paine/Metroland