Record-setting volunteer army invades downtown to clean up trash

An annual event to clear away downtown trash attracted more than 1,200 volunteers Thursday and also sparked a new program that will offer additional cleanups.

The single-day Downtown Winnipeg BIZ spring cleanup attracted about 1,265 participants, setting a record. About 900 volunteers participated last year.

The agency cut off registration early this year to ensure there weren’t more volunteers than available supplies.

Due to the surge in interest, the BIZ is now offering to help set up smaller community cleanups over the next few months to keep the work going.

“We are creating a flexible program for smaller community cleanups… if folks want to participate beyond this single event… they can request a cleanup,” said Olivia Billson, the BIZ’s communications director.

“Our Wawanesa Enviro Team will schedule it, they’ll provide the supplies, they’ll meet them on site, they’ll take away the garbage collection. So, it really lets people continue to be involved.”

Thursday’s cleanup adds to daily work by the BIZ Enviro Team. Throughout 2025, its members collected roughly 1.7 million litres of litter and 13,400 needles, while also removing 9,380 graffiti tags and cleaning more than 6,700 transit shelters, according to a BIZ press release.

Kate Fenske, chief executive officer of the BIZ, said the thorough spring cleanup event covers a very broad area of the downtown and helps support the daily cleanups.

“(This event) gets into the little pockets and the bushes and along the fences and in the back lanes. Our team is 16 people trying to manage 250 blocks, seven days a week. We can’t do it alone,” said Fenske.

Mayor Scott Gillingham, who participated in the cleanup, said cigarette butts were among the most common type of garbage collected.

“(For) people who smoke, please butt out and dispose of the cigarette butt (properly). Don’t flick it onto the street or the sidewalk,” said Gillingham.

Last year, the city added 121 new locked trash and recycling bins in high-traffic areas downtown to help cut down on unsightly piles of garbage.

Gillingham said that effort appears to be helping prevent waste bin contents from being spread over streets, reducing the need for cleanups in some areas.

“From what I see, it is making a difference because those bins are much harder to tamper with. It’s difficult for anyone to get in and pull the garbage out. It’s not perfect, but it’s much better than the open bins,” he said.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

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