Montrealers get down and dirty for a cleaner city

CTV Montreal: Montreal’s mass spring cleanup Volunteers across Montreal took part in the Grand Courvee to beautify and clean up the city.

Armed with garbage bags and determination, each year thousands of people take part in a community effort to beautify Montreal’s parks and public spaces.

The spring cleaning event, known as the Grand Corvee, got underway on Saturday and will continue through May 7th.

Even though it requires participants to get their hands dirty, the event has been growing in popularity since it began in 2009. Last year the cleaning crew was over 21,000 strong.

Volunteers gather in neighbourhoods across Montreal to pick up litter that accumulates over the winter.

“I have a dog and I walk him a lot,” says organizer Gonzo Nieto. “You see litter here and there, especially in the winter turning into spring. As the snow melts you start to see all that stuff.”

The city provides volunteers with gloves, t-shirts and garbage bags.

Montreal's anti-litter campaign has at times been controversial. In September the city installed a giant plastic dog poop on top of a bus shelter to encourage people to clean up.

That’s exactly the kind of waste the Grand Corvee is trying to fight against.

“Especially in the spring you've got dog dirt and leaves and that makes you not want to bring your kids to the park, but that's what the park is for,” said Nieto.