Posted: June 29, 2023

Cleanup at Brewery Creek!

On June 17th, volunteers rallied together to remove a whopping 405 lbs of trash from Brewery Creek, an important urban stream in the heart of Gatineau.

Ottawa Riverkeeper’s Brewery Creek shoreline cleanup on June 17th at Parc Desjardins was a huge success! A fantastic team of 40 energetic volunteers pitched in after a dreary forecast of rain and smoke cleared up the day before. Volunteers of all ages were in attendance — young families, older adults, groups of friends, couples, and even a team of coworkers from the United States Embassy and Marines.

Julia Ostertag, Director of Outreach and Education at Ottawa Riverkeeper, kicked off the event with opening remarks and acknowledgement of the Omàmìwininìwag (Algonquin) and Anishinabewaki land upon which the event was taking place. Julia went on to explain that shoreline cleanups are essential to protecting the Ottawa River as it ensures that plastics and pollutants left on the shorelines do not seep into the waterways.

Following these brief remarks and a discussion of the safety parameters for this cleanup, volunteers grabbed ‘Nifty Nabbers’, buckets, and gloves and headed off towards the shore of Brewery Creek. Over the next hour and a half, volunteers searched different areas of the shrubbery and shoreline to collect items large and small.

Volunteers identified and removed a variety of items including plastic bottles (over 200!), tires (3), shopping carts (2), paint cans, and even an entire mattress frame! Volunteers also used safe disposal kits to get rid of needles found during the cleanup.

At the same time, some younger volunteers took the time to visit our educational table where they learned about the American eels living in our watershed. Others used a microscope to investigate samples of water from a purification plant to see the presence of microplastics.

Following the bulk of garbage collection, volunteers gathered back at the meeting spot to discuss what they had found and the implications of the litter. Volunteers were quick to point out the frequency of plastic water bottles that could be recycled if disposed of properly.

Other volunteers noted the presence of personal objects such as needles is reflective of the broader connection to issues of mental health and addictions, poverty, and the housing crisis, and how many urban waterways such as Brewery Creek are uniquely impacted by this intersection.

As one volunteer pointed out, “It was really inspiring to see so many people within the community coming out as a collective to participate in the cleanup. Not only were we able to do some amazing work but facilitators did a great job fostering conversation and discourse about the origins of the garbage which led to a fruitful conversation on consumption and greater social issues like affordable housing.” To learn more about some of the water quality issues that continue to impact Brewery Creek and the communities living along this important urban waterway, read our 2017 Brewery Creek report.

Volunteers left that day not only having collectively picked up an impressive 405 lbs of garbage and feeling motivated by taking collective action, but also with a greater understanding of environmental issues and injustices through multi-faceted lenses. We are so thankful for all the folks who spent their Saturday morning with us, and we can’t wait to see you at the next one!