Park cleanup and grand openings spotlight environmental responsibility

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Environmental duty was certainly top of mind on Friday, as people across the city recognized Earth Day with personal action and greater awareness work, including the launch of solar power in the city. of Lumsden.

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The Regina brothers lead the park cleanup

In the spirit of Earth Day, brothers Wylie, 7, and Ivan, 5, Tzupniak spent their afternoon at Rick Hansen Optimist Park with a set of neon safety vests, trash clips and a group of fellow volunteers.

“We’re going to pick up trash around the park, to help the Earth,” Wylie said.

The park cleanup was organized by the two brothers, who challenged people in the community and across Canada to spend Earth Day cleaning up for three consecutive years.

Wylie said the idea for a park cleanup effort was his, after noticing trash in his neighborhood made him want to do something about it. He talked to classmates at school and shared the idea on social media, and it took off.

“If we don’t, there will be too much trash,” Wylie said of the cleanup idea.

Both Wylie and Ivan said they felt “really good” about attending this year’s meetup, and they challenged others to take time out to clean up in their own communities at all times. anytime, anywhere – not just for Earth Day.

New exhibition on humanity and biodiversity opens

The Royal Saskatchewan Museum honored the environmental awareness holiday with the public opening of its brand new exhibit, titled Home: Life in the Anthropocene.

Curator Glenn Sutter described the new traveling exhibit as a deeper look at the lasting effect humanity is having on the geological record and how Saskatchewan relates to larger global issues like food security and climatic changes.

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“At the end of the day, we want people to feel and recognize that yes, we’re up against some very tough stuff, but there’s room for optimism,” Sutter said.

Part of the unique exhibit includes a collection of the province’s 55 endangered species, including a plains bison provided by the Cree Nation of Peepeekisis, as well as an interactive globe that projects video clips.

The RSM has also included English, French and Cree in its exhibit descriptions, a first for the museum.

Sutter said the launch was perfectly timed with Earth Day, as one of the big messages of the new exhibit is ecological awareness and connection with nature.

“What happens in this space is that you can reflect personally but also see the bigger connections,” Sutter said. “It’s not ‘your neighborhood’ day, it’s Earth Day.”

Lumsden unveils new wastewater and solar power plant

Officials also gathered Friday for the grand opening of a newly renovated wastewater treatment facility in Lumsden, the culmination of a $13.4 million grant from New Building Canada.

The upgraded facility can now treat wastewater for around 2,500 people, twice the city’s current population. New infrastructure also better protects the lagoon system, which Mayor Bryan Matheson said was a priority.

“It’s a huge step forward for our community to manage wastewater very effectively and to ensure that our waterways, both in our community and downstream, are taken care of.

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The city also unveiled three slices of solar panels, which will supply some of the electricity to the sewage treatment plant, the main sewage lift station and the recycling centre. A final solar project to help power the southern sewage lift station will be completed later this year.

Matheson said the city was “thrilled” to cut the ribbon on both projects, especially seeing the significant shift to using renewable energy to power city services. Further expansion of solar power could be a boon for Lumsden, he added.

“It makes sense to take advantage of current technology and use solar energy as often and in every way possible.”

He said revealing the new infrastructure was “appropriate to do” on Earth Day, but the event should not be seen as a token gesture.

“It’s not a one-day-a-year problem,” Matheson said. “It means nothing if you don’t do it every day.”

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