‘Keep Toronto Beautiful’: City launches summer initiative to clean public spaces, streets, parks

FILE - People enjoy the weather at Trinity Bellwoods Park in Toronto at the start of the May long weekend, Saturday, May 22, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tijana Martin

Up to 400 city staff will be working every Saturday for the next three months as part of Toronto’s effort to clean public spaces, streets, and parks.

Mayor Olivia Chow announced on Saturday the launch of the “Keep Toronto Beautiful” initiative.

Work will include removal of graffiti, weeds, and litter from streets, sidewalks, and parks; tree maintenance on streets and in parks; intensified enforcement and cleanup of illegal dumping hotspots; street sweeping and cleanup of boulevards and laneways; repairing potholes, bike lanes, and bike rings; repainting pavement markings; and installing more than 600 new garbage and recycling bins in “high-usage” parks.

“I know it is really important to have a clean, livable space. Too often, with garbage that might be overflowing, the streets are sometimes not in the best shape, and there’s litter around. That’s why we need to create a cleaner, safer city for everyone,” Chow said.

She noted that Toronto residents can now easily report which garbage and recycling bins need to be emptied by using QR codes.

The city said the cleaning blitzes are in addition to the daily patrols by crews to identify and maintain areas in need of attention.

“I just want to thank thousands of hard-working city staff, including all the supervisors, the department heads, the directors, they are all here with us, showing our commitment to clean our city, clean and beautiful for everyone,” the mayor said.

The city said data will determine where cleaning blitzes are most needed.

While she said the city hadn’t seen an increase in reports about garbage overflowing, Chow shared that she has observed litter when she’s out for a walk, bike ride, or kayak.

“I am observing that there are things that we can do better. And when you’re cycling, you really notice those bumpy roads right on the streets,” she added.

Earlier this year, a report on Toronto’s Parks and Recreation Division from the city’s auditor general suggested there was much room for improvement when it comes to maintaining park infrastructure.

“Essentially, we’ve implemented a quality assurance framework that has components to it that look at how you document the work, how you inspect that work, and what the quality of that work is,” Donna Kovachis, the director of parks for the city, said on Saturday.

In addition to the cleaning blitz, the city announced that it would also conduct daily cleanup efforts, including repairing benches and picnic tables at public parks and pools this summer.

The city plans to hire up to 30 students to join the summer park cleaning teams and more custodial staff to maintain outdoor pools.