Cascades Conservation Area is a heavily used and popular destination for the community for various outdoor activities including hiking and sightseeing. “For the most part, the community does a great job of graciously cleaning up after themselves and removing their trash when finished enjoying the Area. Unfortunately, others leave large messes behind, primarily broken beer bottles and other harmful debris,” shares Bill Bartley, the Chairman of the LRCA. “Alcohol is not permitted in the Conservation Area, however glass from broken bottles is regularly found on the rocks and in the water. This poses a safety hazard, especially to swimmers and dogs”.
“The extra assistance for this type of clean-up is greatly appreciated. The number of people needed for such a thorough cleaning is more than what is staffed by the Authority, so with this fact, the LRCA is pleased to have enlisted the help of the Ontario Junior Rangers”.
The Rangers will assist staff with the clean-up and safe disposal of the trash and glass found in the Area. Field Operations Supervisor Ryne Gilliam will be on-site, overseeing the clean-up, and is thrilled to have the help: “Too many people enjoy this fantastic Area, and it’s a shame that they should have to put up with others’ disrespectful treatment of it.”
Bartley also commented on the troubling amount of vandalism in the area: “We try our best to maintain the beautiful Conservation Areas for the community of Thunder Bay and the Member Municipalities, and it saddens us to see how some people treat the areas. We thank the Junior Rangers for assisting us, and hope that people will continue to enjoy and respect our natural environment.”
