City of Brantford will be hosting a lineup of events and initiatives to mark Earth Day and engage the community in protecting the environment.
Celebrated annually on April 22, this year marks the 54th anniversary of Earth Day, a worldwide day of environmental activism.
City Council proclaimed the week of April 21 to 27, 2024 as Earth Week in the City of Brantford. The City is offering several ways for residents to get involved in environmental initiatives throughout the week, including a community-wide clean up event and a free tree giveaway.
“I invite all residents to come together to take practical steps towards a cleaner, greener future for ourselves and future generations,” said Kevin Davis, Mayor for the City of Brantford. “Participating in the City’s Earth Week events is a great step towards making a meaningful difference in our environment and community.”
Let’s Clean Our City
The third annual Earth Day Let’s Clean Our City cleanup event takes place on Sunday, April 21, 2024 and Monday, April 22, 2024 and calls upon the community to come together for a massive cleanup effort. In 2022, over 420kg of litter was collected and in 2023 over 620kg was collected with more than 2,300 individuals participating. Be a part of the biggest collective clean-up event of the year and help keep Brantford clean!
Individuals, groups, neighbourhood associations, and organizations are invited to register online to indicate their clean-up location within the city and supplies needed. Residents are encouraged to use their own reusable gloves but cleanup kits that include one large garbage bag, one large clear recycling bag, a pair of gloves, and information on how to dispose of different materials will be available for pickup. Clean up kits can be picked up at the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre, 254 North Park Street, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Monday, April 15 until Sunday, April 21, 2024 and from City Hall Customer Service, 58 Dalhousie Street, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from Monday, April 15 until Friday, April 19, 2024.
Individuals can leave their collected litter at the curbside with their regular garbage pickup if it is five bags or under in total. Groups or larger cleanups can bring the collected garbage to one of three disposal locations where City of Brantford staff will dispose of it for you:
- Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre Parking Lot, 254 North Park Street
- Holmedale Park, 331 Grand River Avenue
- Doug Snooks Eagle Place Community Centre, 333 Erie Avenue
Prizes will be randomly awarded to registered participants that submit a photo online of their cleanup efforts. Prizes are offered in the following categories:
· Individuals can win one of two $50 gift cards to a local business.
· Neighbourhood Associations can win a $500 prize to be spent on an environmental initiative in their neighbourhood.
· Community groups, businesses or other organizations can win a $500 cash donation to a local charity of their choice.
· Participating schools can win one of two countertop composters for their school.
To participate in the Let’s Clean Our City Photo Contest and to receive your clean-up kit, register at Brantford.ca/CleanBrantford by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, April 19, 2024. Participants are also encouraged to share photos of their efforts on social media by tagging the City of Brantford and using the hashtags #CleanBrantford.
Free Tree Giveaway
To support local climate action, the City of Brantford is offering 400 FREE trees for Brantford residents to plant on their residential property. Starting at 9 a.m. on Monday, April 15, homeowners can register online at Brantford.ca/FreeTrees on a first-come, first-serve basisto select their preferred tree species. Ten native species of trees will be made available with a limit of one free tree per residential property. Tree pickup is scheduled for Friday, May 3 and Saturday, May 4 at 1 Sherwood Drive, Brantford, between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. The trees must be picked up and planted by residents.
Community Tree Planting
Join the Brant Tree Coalition for the 11th Annual Brantford Community Tree Planting on Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Brier Park at 65 Winding Way, Brantford. The group will plant 1,000 native trees and shrubs to help naturalize an area of Brier Park. For more information, please call 519-759-4150.
