Throwback to our 2021 summer clean-up events

November 4, 2021
As you know, the protection of the environment and water is a cause dear to the heart of Club APRIL Marine. It is the reason why it is important for us to join forces with the wonderful team of Mission 1000 tonnes and to clean-up banks all summer! And we can tell you that we didn’t rest…
June 5th 2021: Club APRIL Marine and APRIL Canada hand in hand along the Richelieu
The festivities started on June 5th, on World Environment Day. We called on our partners from APRIL Canada to lend us a hand and they answered the call in great numbers! It was then, joined by around thirty APRIL employees and their families that we found ourselves, a Saturday morning in Richelieu, for our first clean-up of the summer.
For a better distribution of tasks, part of the group was responsible for cleaning the banks of the Richelieu River, while others cleaned up the roadside under the motorway viaduct. Several motorists honked to support the volunteers who were hard at work.
Together, equipped with buckets, garbage bags, tongs and gloves, we cleaned up no less than 461 pounds of litter of all kinds.
The children present actively participated and were very happy to also do their part for the planet. Some participant for whom it was their very first clean-up told us that they would now have the habit to pick up litter when they would see it and more importantly they will never throw it on the ground again. A great life and value lesson for all ages.
Video credit : Alices Films
August 28th 2021 : Brokers and firefighters to the rescue of the banks of Lévis
The second clean-up was accomplished with the collaboration of the brokers at JA Lemieux. We joined them in Lévis to clean the banks of the Etchemin River. What was shaping up to be a small clean-up turned out to be the Club’s second biggest clean-up so far! With the help of the Lévis fire department, we removed 846 pounds of litter from the banks of the river. Among our finds: a television, metal pipes, large pieces of metal scrap and, of course many plastic bags and water bottles.
Since we were close to a bike line, many people were passing and were congratulating us for our implication. I am positive that these people will keep us in mind and will now pay a closer attention to the litter that surrounds them.
Despite the fact that we were a small group of 10 people, we made a real impact. Further proof that together, we can change the world!
Photo credit : Émilie Pelletier Photographe et Sandra Léo
September 11th 2021 : A first for the Club in Ontario
Our third clean-up of the summer was held in partnership with the insurance brokers of MLS Insurance Brokers, located in Ontario. We joined them at the Francois Dupont Park in Ottawa, whose wooded area on the banks of the Ottawa River was a former inundation zone.
This time, no large pieces were present as in previous clean-up. However, there were many small pieces of plastic and cigarette butts. A laborious clean-up, since we still removed 355 pounds of litter in nearly 2 hours. We always want to surpass ourselves and clean-up more trash, so we were a little disappointed of this slightly lower weights than previous clean-up. However, by talking with the teams of MLS Insurance Brokers and especially Mission 1000 tonnes, we quickly realized that it is sometimes more beneficial for the ecosystem to clean the environment from small waste rather than big ones. In fact, a tire weighing several hundred pounds is less likely to end up in the stomachs of fishes and animals than a small piece of plastic. We are ultimately very proud of this « little catch» !
Photo credit : Émilie Pelletier Photographe
September 25th 2021 : The meetup for fishing and cleaning enthusiasts
We ended the 2021 clean-up season alongside the members of Club APRIL Marine as well as a special guest who was Cyril Chauquet. Partner of Club APRIL Marine for several years, this exceptional fisherman, host of successful shows such as Chasing Monster and Les derniers géants, did not hesitate to answer our call and slipped on his gloves to remove litter by our side.
It was on a particularly sunny morning that we met in Sainte-Catherine to clean up the banks of the South Shore Canal. With young children and young at heart participants, it is in a very family-friendly and particularly energizing atmosphere that we took care of our water. Cyril himself went fishing for garbage, two feet in the water. His biggest catch? A nice grocery cart!
This last clean-up was the biggest of Club APRIL Marine with 1016 pounds of litter removed! The perfect way to end this 2021 season, before exchanging a well deserve glass of friendship with our dear participants.