Community clean-ups are a fixture in villages across Haida Gwaii.
Summer brings more people to the islands, which also means more garbage in communities and recreation areas.
“We should all be practicing the ‘leave no trace’ principle,” says Haida Gwaii Rec Coordinator Alissa MacMullin, who is involved in many community groups and initiatives.
MacMullin said when it comes to community cleanliness, youth and other community members can take inspiration from Kevin Gibson.
For more than 35 years, Gibson has been riding his bike around Daajing Giids, picking up litter he finds.
“It started with my daughter and myself,” he said, proudly showing a handful of litter he picked up while speaking with the Haida Gwaii News.
“If everyone did this, there wouldn’t be much left on the ground.”
Thanks to Aya Sirhan of Daajing Giids, this year’s Green Youth Coordinator with Haida Gwaii Rec, people in Daajing Giids will find “Kevin’s Can” waiting for litter at the edge of the village ballfield.
Gibson said he didn’t notice the litter can was named in his honour until someone pointed it out. He thought it was put there for softball games.
“I didn’t even look!” he said.
The Daajing Giids Community Club donated the bin, and Haida Gwaii Rec’s Green Youth Coordinator position is funded by the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association.
Sirhan said so far this summer she has been busy pulling out invasive species and beautifying many of Daajing Giids’ shared spaces.
While Sirhan has been busy, there is a growing need for more bins in the village. Local softball teams do not have their own and have been called out on social media for leaving a considerable mess after tournaments and games.
MacMullin strongly believes more bins are needed as well as more incentives to keep the community clean.
“It doesn’t take just one person to clean a town,” she said, adding that it’s everyone’s responsibility.
Earlier this year, Caitlyn Ames took it upon herself to lead a garbage cleanup on the stretch of highway she walks daily with her young son.
“The amount of garbage we saw and the walking was getting worse every time we went out,” Ames said.
Between the ferry terminal and Daajing Giids, her family and a few others removed several garbage bags’ worth of trash from the ditches and will be doing it again if needed.
By the ballfield, residents are asked to fill Kevin’s Can as often as possible before Friday, Aug. 16. The deadline is the last day the Green Youth Coordinator is available to run the project.
“Many hands make for light work,” said Kevin Gibson, explaining that his continued efforts would be unnecessary if everyone did their part.