Great Canadian Shore Cleanup

Group shot of the Military and DND civilians who volunteered in the annual Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup at Yarrows boat ramp.

More than 40 military and civilian volunteers rolled up their sleeves last Wednesday for the Great Canadian Shore Cleanup.

This year marked the first official CFB Esquimalt crew, headed by the office of the Queen’s Harbour Master, the Canadian Forces Auxiliary Vessels and the Port Operations and Emergency Services Branch.

“It’s our responsibility to keep this harbour clean,” says Branch Environmental Officer Lyle Fairley. “We wanted to do our part, and we’ve had a really great response from the base.”

The team targeted the area around Dockyard and Naden, as well as across the water in View Royal. They combed the waters and beaches for refuse of any kind, even hauling an old wooden boat out of the seabed near Fleet Dive Unit.

“I can’t believe how much stuff we recovered,” says Fairley. “Everyone did a really great job.”

All in all, around 3,000 lbs of material was recovered. This included 1,937 lbs of scrap metal, 176 lbs of rope, and 59 lbs in plastic bags.

“There’s still more out there, and it’s going to take a lot more work, but we’re off too a good start,” says Fairley. “All of the stuff that we collected can have a serious impact on marine wildlife and the ecosystem. This is an important job, and I’m glad that we can help.”

Shawn O’Hara, Staff Writer