VANCOUVER -- Volunteers combed the shores of Victoria's Gorge Waterway Sunday morning looking to remove as much garbage from the area as possible.
Organizer Rachael Montgomery, who is also a candidate in Victoria's upcoming city council byelection, said the idea was to make up for the decrease in the number of people who conduct trash pickups along the waterway over the winter.
In total, participants collected some 235 kilograms of garbage, including some unusual items: A large block of plastic foam, an abandoned inflatable boat, Christmas ornaments and a patient transport chair from a hospital.
"I'm a nurse, so I was quite surprised to see that find its way over here," Montgomery said.
She said whenever she participates in a beach cleanup, there's always a prize for the person who finds the weirdest trash. She wasn't sure which of the items found on Sunday would end up as the winner.
Participants spent two hours patrolling the shore looking for garbage, and they had help on the water as well. South Island SUP, a stand-up paddle boarding group, also participated in Sunday's cleanup, raking trash found floating in the waterway.
Montgomery said she was pleased with the amount of garbage the group was able to remove.
"I was surprised at the volume, but not surprised that we're seeing more than we would during, say, the summer months," she said.
