Regina group cleaning up North Central alley by alley

Community clean up in North Central WATCH: A group of volunteers is working to clean up the alleys in North Central Regina.

A small but mighty group of volunteers is working to clean up garbage in North Central Regina, one alley at a time.

Brayan Hill lives in the neighbourhood and has been trying to get the initiative off the ground for quite some time but said the difference maker this year has been garbage bins provided through the City of Regina.

“We’re trying to get something going in the community to get more people out to help and to get the community looking better and safer for those who live in it,” Hill said.

In addition to the bins, they’ve also had donations of tools and gloves. The weekend of April 6, a group of about 13 people were able to get through three alleyways, with the help of a Bobcat.

“We’ve found all sorts of treasures from televisions, couches, dolls, everything,” Hill said, adding that needles are also a consistent sight, a side effect of a lingering addictions crisis. “Some [alleys] look worse than others, but just trying to start at one and move from there.”

About a half dozen people are present at the group’s most recent cleanup on Saturday, ranging from a man who has lived in North Central since 1979 to a teacher who’s new to the city and looking for a way to help out.

The scrapes and shuffles of shovels, rakes, and trash being loaded into bins is a near constant, occasionally broken up by someone who lives nearby stopping to say hi, sometimes lending a hand even if only for a few minutes.

Much of the garbage the group picks up has built up over the winter, but societal issues that can contribute to the problem year-round like homelessness, addiction and poverty will require longer term solutions.

Hill added now that the cleanup initiative is getting off the ground, she’s been getting more messages about alleys that could use some TLC.

“If our slogan is ‘I Love Regina,’ we have to love all parts of it,” Hill said.

The cleanups typically happen weekly. Anyone is welcome to join in. Hill said she eventually hopes to get an “Adopt an Alley” program going in the neighbourhood.