Queenston Launch Cleanup

[Dan Andrews]

The following is a result of discussion from this thread: http://www.niagarafishing.net/forums/index...showtopic=19289

Racial intolerance will not be allowed at niagarafishing.net! Positive action however is condoned

We'll be holding a cleanup at the Queenston boat launch this Sunday starting at 5 pm. I am trying to contact some sponsors for a truck and to see if we can get free disposal at the municipal dump on Monday or even convince the NPC to lend us a truck and take care of the disposal for us.

As the annual smelt run sees this spot destroyed every year I've decided to call for a clean up and hope to attract some media attention. I want everyone to know that slobs are not the majority in our social circle and that we do care about the environment. I would also like to extend a hand to the Town of Niagara on the Lake and ask them for understanding and invite them to join us in a outreach to the angler population who have brought these dirty habits fishing with them. We don't need another signed area insisting only town residents with a permit can fish here like in NOTL

I have communicated with the Ontario Chinese Anglers Association and they have agreed to post this on their website as well as to try to make contact with OMNI news. We want the message getting out to the community who was dominant when the mess was made so they see that littering has consequences and perhaps we can influence them to join us in the cleanup and discuss this issue further. This is part of the outreach I was talking about. http://smartanglers.com/main/

So if your not busy maybe you can come lend a hand. If I can't get garbage bags donated I'll pay for them myself. I figure we'll need 100 but maybe not. The last clean up I did there was organized by the kid who sells worms on Dumphries St. That was in 2007 and someone did a clean up the day before so it was a quick one. He and his Family will be joining us on Sunday.

If your going to help you'll need gloves just to start. I'll bring a couple of shovels for dung duty. I want to do the entire parking a driveway areas, shorelines where possible (I'll call jetboats and request access) and then work our way up the hill. There will likely be sharp objects and biological hazards so if your squeamish perhaps you can help organize instead.

Things 2 do but feel free to suggest more

* Contact NPC and ask for donation of bags and possibly truck (done but they can only pick up the trash the next day as this is too short a notice for Earth Week).
* Contact the Town to see about waiving dumping fees (The NPC does their own dumping and has it covered)
* Contact Friends of the Glen to ask for help (Friends sent out an email to their membership)
* Contact Gary Boroughs to make statement about the closed dock in NOTL
* Contact the Ontario Chinese Anglers Association OCAA and the CAA(Done)
* Contact Omni News and local edits (OCAA offered to knock on some doors there)No bites yet
* Contact MNR enforcement to speak to media (done but no response yet)

• Erect a small sign in English,Cantonese and mandarin asking for co-operation
  

I was really hoping that the smelt run would be over by then but bigugli thinks it will end after the 28th due to the full moon. Lets hope not and if their are crowds still there perhaps.... just maybe they will take a break and join in and then spread the message to their friends.

Lets keep it positive, forget the blame and find a solution ........................................ together

[Sea Nymph]

I will be there to help!

[spottedGARRR]

I'll be there with bells on, and if it's chlly out maybe clothes too

[Dirka13]

i cant make it that day but ill keep on truckin and picking up garbage on the grand river like i always do, good luck and be carefull of the sharp objects

[Smokin Joe]

I'll try and be there too Dan. I agree about the blaming others what's the point let's just get it done and hopefully people will notice and think about it next time

[Dan Andrews]

http://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&...98b0adcf90e0fe8

To get to the launch exit the parkway at Dumpries St and drive until you can't anymore.

[Dan Andrews]

The Friends of Fort Erie's Creeks has agreed to donate the use of a large landscape trailer.

The Niagara Parks can't help because of previous engagements due to it being Earth day/week but they have agreed to pick up the pile of garbage from the upper parking lot and dispose of it for us at no cost

We'll still use the trailer to haul the garbage up the hill

Just looking for bags now

[Smokin Joe]

I'll bring a box of big garbage bags as long as I don't get hassled at the border...............

[Dan Andrews]

Well we won't be borrowing the trailer from FOFEC as there is a problem with the brakes (they get sticky when inactive). I will recognize them for the thought anyway.

Seeing as the Niagara Parks has agreed to pick up the garbage the next day anyway I will just use my truck and small landscaping trailer to haul it up to the upper parking lot.

Will anyone else be attending this clean up?

[hammercarp]

Well we won't be borrowing the trailer from FOFEC as there is a problem with the brakes (they get sticky when inactive). I will recognize them for the thought anyway.

Seeing as the Niagara Parks has agreed to pick up the garbage the next day anyway I will just use my truck and small landscaping trailer to haul it up to the upper parking lot.

Will anyone else be attending this clean up?

Yes. Can you give me the location?

[Dan Andrews]

Yes. Can you give me the location?

Post number 6

Take Dumphries St off the Niagara Parkway at the bottom of the escarpment. Drive straight to the end and continue down the dirt rd.

I got a call from the Ontario Chinese Anglers Association and they are sending a rep with about 7 volunteers.

[Dan Andrews]

I have purchased some latex gloves 25 pairs of disposable latex gloves for those who do not have anything to protect their hands. These will not protect you from sharp objects. I've also picked up 60 garbage bags and I sure hope we won't be needing anymore than that.

I'll bring two rakes and two shovels but I'm counting on most rubbish to be picked up by hand. I'll also bring 1 tarp to cover any loose trash with so it doesn't blow away before the NPC get to it.

The Friends of the Glen have previous engagements also but the membership was also invited through their email list to join us and I also invite our membership here to join the Friends of the Glen and join the ongoing effort to keep it clean year round. See their flyer in the What's Happening section for their event on April 24th. Thank you Sharron for your help.

[spottedGARRR]

see you sunday @ 5 ish

[Smokin Joe]

I'll be a little late I'm working till 4:30 sunday then I'll be heading over.

[Dan Andrews]

Well it appears it happened again. Someone beat us to it.

There is still some cleanup to do but the area at the boat launch looked great today around 4pm. The smelts were still running heavy and they were getting them in the daylight. You could see the bottom was black with smelts still.

I am still looking forward to meeting some of you and some new contacts as well but I think I will bring a smelt net and get a few more for the freezer before they are gone.

Whoever did the cleanup didn't touch the toilet paper so I guess I'll bring a shovel. BUCKETS PEOPLE!!!!!!

[Dan Andrews]

Well some of the regular locals told us it was cleaned again today. Even the pile that was there yesterday was gone but there was still garbage to collect. We picked up from the pump house to about 300 yards upstream from the upper parking lot. We collected everything from empty 1lb propane bottles to tires and even a gas tank and car battery. The majority of the litter was beverage containers and many have been around for along time.

I can't thank the Ontario Chinese Anglers Association enough for driving all the way from the Toronto area to help us clean our home up and make friends. I've invited them to ask for help here on NFN for their area because we have many members there also. The OCAA is helping with the language barrier and the word seems to be getting out through other websites as well. We plan on having a long relationship as working partners to better our relationship with the resources.

Missing from this picture are spottedgarr and significant other, "worm stand" Robert and his Mother Nelly and perhaps a few others that had to leave early. I thank you for your time and support and we might photoshop you into the group picture later

Some of the locals were angry with us because we didn't hold the cleanup earlier when it was bad and asked me if I wanted a badge for my efforts. These guys are just as much a part of process as we are so I explained the point of our presence there. No we don't want a badge or a thank you. We want the litter to stop and the main point of this get together was to network and make some new friends. We will begin planning for next year and put our heads together to come up with solutions; one being education. If we can work together with municipalities to place informative signs and bring some of the uneducated litterbugs on board perhaps we can have the permit only sign in NOTL removed and replaced with one that will send the right message in at least three languages.

Litter has no face and that's the message I would like to get across. The solution has no face or ethnic background either. When you hear someone say "It's not my garbage" tell them their right. It's our garbage now lets pick it up! Instead of pointing fingers and laying blame lets preach environmental stewardship and find the best partners we can and work toward a solution.

Now how can we raise some money to donate to the Town of NOTL for the purpose of erecting some signs before the next smelt run or for that matter; fall salmon?

If we have any members who live in Queenston perhaps they can go down for the next few evenings and fill a bag. The Niagara Parks Commission will be grateful I'm sure.

[hammercarp]

Good job Dan showing that anglers from diverse communities can come together and help the enviroment.

[ron4blues]

Wish I could have been there, but life gets in the way sometimes, plus I'm using public transportation these days. I like that it came off so well and that it looks promising for the future.

Perhaps you can meet fund-raising requirements with with a few social gatherings. Many organizations hold an annual dinner and auction. Twenty dollars a head for dinner followed by an auction of items donated by members and local businesses can raise a nice bundle. My brother, of whom I have spoken in other threads, is a member of two or three groups that do this and they are invariably successful. Especially popular are out-doors related art, hand-tied flies, certificates for a day or two with a guide, and other items in that vein. The last such function I was at even had a train trip for two from Halifax to Montreal and back, worth about $2,000 and donated by Via!

[basskicker09]

i like coachman idea i would def be in for that a fundraiser swill

[marth11]

did someone say swill?! we need to get one going for a fundraiser or something

[Dan Andrews]

Does anyone know where we can get garbage bags printed to put down by the ramp next year. The idea is to fill bags with leaves or grass clippings etc and leave them down there like temporary signs for the smelt run. I need something like the Pitch in Canada bags.

I need names of suppliers and suggestions as to what to print on the bags. I also need help with the translations. I suggest something in English such as "It's our mess lets clean it up" but I don't know how that translates into mainland China's Cantonese and Mandarin.

Any suggestions

[Smokin Joe]

Maybe use clear bags?

[Dan Andrews]

Joe we want a message printed on the bags and they have to stand out. I don't think clear would be a good idea. The bright yellow bags would likely be the best choice.

[ron4blues]

Here's a source:

http://www.advpackaging.com/garbbags.php