Toronto's annual spring clean-up weekend returns April 22-24. Groups of friends, family or co-workers are encouraged to get together to help clean their local playgrounds, trails, beaches, parks and LANEWAYS.
Whether it's next weekend or another time this spring, getting together with your community once a year to conduct regular maintenance is a great way to keep your laneway looking good and address any issues, such as needed repairs, vandalism and garbage.
An area that looks clean and well maintained is more likely to stay that way (i.e. the broken window syndrome). It’s also a great opportunity to get together and spend time with your neighbours, especially after being cooped up during the winter.
You might even consider combining the event with a laneway potluck, barbeque or party.
5 Steps to Organizing a Laneway Clean-up
1) Choose a date for the clean-up. You can align your clean-up day with the City's Clean Toronto Together initiative (April 23-24), or do it on another day that works for your community.
2) Invite your group of friends, family and/or neighbours. Consider creating an event flyer and posting in the laneway or sending it around electronically.
3) Ask neighbours to share supplies, such as large garbage bags, rakes, gardening gloves, as well as paint and other tools. Between April 4 - 24 you can also pick up free garbage and recycling bags at selected locations in Toronto Pizza Pizza selected locations in Toronto(white litter bags only): ommunity Centres, Civic Centres .
4) If you chose to coincide with Clean Toronto Together, you can schedule your clean-up. Scheduling allows you to arrange litter pick-up and avoid multiple groups cleaning the same location.
5) Host the event. Focus on picking-up garbage, painting over vandalized garages, fixing any minor issues and getting rid of over-grown weeds and bushes. You may also want to identify any major issues in the laneway to be addressed later.
All photos were taken by Katrina Afonso at the CCBG Laneway Clean-up.