PETAWAWA - Residents will be doing their part to save the environment today as the town joins the Great Canadian Shoreline Clean-up.

This morning, volunteers are invited to meet at the Petawawa Point at 8:45 a.m. to start a major clean-up of the beach. Gloves and garbage bags will be provided.

Organizers hope to remove as much shoreline litter and debris from the area as possible. The parks and recreation department will assist with the removal of much larger debris found along the banks of the Ottawa River. At the same time, CFB Petawawa will be holding a similar community clean-up of Black Bear Beach. Volunteers are asked to assemble there at 9 a.m.

“More and more towns affected by shorelines are participating in this national conservation effort,” said economic development co-ordinator Christine Mitchell. “It’s an opportunity for us, as a town, to join the clean-up.”

The event began quietly in Vancouver in 1994 when volunteers cleaned up Stanley Park. They submitted the data collected during this event to the International Coastal Clean-up, a global program managed by the Ocean Conservancy.

In 2002, the Great Canadian Shoreline Clean-up emerged as a national program, providing all Canadians the opportunity to make a difference in their local communities. Cleanups started appearing in every province and territory, and by 2003, more than 20,000 volunteers were taking part.

Today, it is recognized as one of the largest direct action conservation programs. Last year, 56,000 Canadians participated in clean-ups in 1,600 locations across the country. This year’s national event will also address the anticipated arrival of Japanese tsunami debris on Canada’s West Coast.

Last year, the base organized its first shoreline clean-up. The town is hoping a large contingent of residents will come to the event.

“We would love to have as many people as possible come out,” said Ms. Mitchell noting the community’s involvement is essential to creating healthy shorelines for Petawawa’s recreational and aquatic life. “It’s a great way to preserve the Point.”

Ms. Mitchell hopes to make Petawawa’s participation in the shoreline clean-up an annual event noting that, fortunately, the Point appears to be in good shape.

“It’s not too bad,” she said.

Sean Chase is a Daily Observer multimedia journalist

sean.chase@sunmedia.ca