The second annual Team Up to Clean Up took place all around the lake on Saturday, with volunteers from each municipality pitching in to keep the lake clean.
The volunteers each took a section of lakeshore and park, and picked up bits of garbage that accumulated over the winter.
Normally, the spring clean up would be aided by the underwater and shoreline clean up which occurs in the fall each year. However, the 2018 underwater cleanup was cancelled due to unseasonable snow.
Mayor Sean McIntyre says he doesn’t believe the lack of an autumn clean up has contributed to more garbage than normal.
“My family and I walked along [the lakeshore]… we saw garbage has collected but it didn’t look like it was an unusually large amount,” McIntyre said.
It is normal for litter to accumulate over the winter months, McIntyre says.
He explained people have fun out on the lake over the colder months of the year, and in the spring as the lake melts the trash and litter washes up along the shore.
“In our neck of the woods we love when springtime comes. Summer is short, and we want to take every advantage of it,” McIntyre said as to why the clean up was important.
On May 11, the day of the clean up, the final pieces of ice melted off of the lake, and may residents and visitors have already began to make their way to the lakeshore.
“We have people out enjoying the lakeshore already, and of course they don’t want to be doing that in and amongst litter,” he said.
McIntyre says he loves to see everyone come together to keep the parks and lakes clean, not just in Sylvan Lake but around the lake in each of the summer villages.
“When we use volunteers, when we team up to clean up, it helps to make champions out of people… they become passionate about keeping their community clean.”
He continued to say those who volunteer at the clean up event are more likely to ensure that litter does not happen around them.
Team Up to Clean Up had many volunteers on Saturday, including the local Beaver Troupe who took a spot on the pier to clean up.
Those who volunteered were treated to a barbecue lunch sponsored by Cloverdale’s No Frills.