Political signs to birthday balloons: Community marks 10 years of river cleanups

River Canard seen in Essex County, Ont. on May 10, 2025. (Robert Lothian/CTV News Windsor)

Organized efforts to clean one of Essex County’s most popular waterways reached a milestone on Saturday morning.

Paddlers departed from the River Canard Canoe Outpost for the 10th annual cleaning of the more than 12-kilometre-long body of water.

Ron Lapointe, owner of the River Canard Canoe Company, said the cleanup began in an effort to dispose of the debris found along the river’s edge.

“We came up with the idea of providing free canoes,” Lapointe told CTV News.

“Because the best way to access the garbage is from the water, instead of trying to do it along the roadway, which is maybe fine in other areas, but ours is actually right on the river, and so we’ve had a fair amount of success with that.”

Reaching the decade mark, Lapointe said about 20 people began their morning in the water, but that figure can often rise throughout the day.

As canoes return to shore, Lapointe said there’s no telling what people will find. Often, paddlers drag back bottles, garbage bags, and celebratory balloons.

“They’ve pulled out tires, they pulled out real estate signs, political signs, just different things that just end up in the water,” he added.

Before creating the cleanup, Lapointe said they would often cruise the river and pick up garbage along the way. In an effort to be accommodating, he said they’ve made the cleanup a day-long festivity.

“You hear a lot about climate change and this and that, but it’s kind of vague for a lot of people. They feel like they can’t do anything,” Lapointe said.

“There’s nothing more important than actually just cleaning what’s actually here, keep the rivers clean, keep the beaches clean, and that’s something that you can control.”

While his next cleanup is a year away, Lapointe said they run a “Green Canoe Program” to offer a free canoe for anyone looking to clean River Canard.