Winnipeg starting spring cleanup with focus on downtown

To freshen things up, Winnipeg is launching a beautification blitz, which starts in the city’s downtown core.

Even though Mother Nature is expected to bring another round of snow into Manitoba, spring is officially here.

With that, the city is preparing for the annual spring cleanup, starting with the downtown.

Four crews started in the core by sweeping the sidewalks, pressure washing equipment at city parks, replacing broken and damaged signs and cleaning graffiti.

The work is expected to last four weeks.

“When these spaces are clean and well cared for, it sends a message that we take pride in our city and in the people who live, work, and visit here. Downtown is the heart of Winnipeg. It is home to residences, businesses, festivals, arts and culture, sports, tourism, and so many amenities that make our city unique,” said Coun. Vivian Santos (Point Douglas).

“That is why this work matters. It’s not just about sweeping streets or picking up litter. It’s about making people feel welcomed. It is about creating spaces that are vibrant, safe, and inviting. It’s about supporting local businesses, encouraging tourism and helping people feel proud of where they live, work, and play.”

Along with downtown, cleanup around the city will start on Sunday.

“Over the next six weeks, our crews will be sweeping streets, cleaning sidewalks and pathways and clearing debris from parks and public spaces right across Winnipeg,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham.

“This is a huge operation. It involves hundreds of workers, hundreds of pieces of equipment covering the city. Really, this is about service delivery. It’s about delivering service to the people of Winnipeg. It’s a priority that the councillors and I have to make sure that the citizens of Winnipeg get the kind of service that they are expecting because people expect their streets to be clean and their parks to be maintained and their neighbourhoods to be looked after.”

As crews do work around the city, Gillingham said Winnipeggers have a role to play as well.

He is asking people to pick up any trash they see in their area and maintain their property.

“If we all do our part in simple, small ways, the collective effort will go a long way to making sure that our city is cleaned up faster.”

The mayor is reminding people to check the Know Your Zone app to see when street cleaning is scheduled for their neighbourhood and to keep an eye out for no parking signs to ensure crews are able to completely clean the roads and so no vehicles get ticketed or towed.

More details about the city’s spring cleanup can be found online.