WELLINGTON COUNTY – In April, the Wellington Advertiser organized a Community Cleanup Contest, inviting county residents and groups to make a difference in the community and show it off with pride.
Four groups were chosen to receive recognition and prizes:
- the Fergus Lions Club won first place and $750;
- Mount Forest Green Team, second, $500;
- Optimist Club of Puslinch, third, $250; and
- the Ribey family of Centre Wellington, honourable mention, $100.
The criteria was simple: demonstrate how your efforts made a difference in the community, including before-and-after photos.
Lions Club
The Fergus Lions Club has been dedicated to roadside cleanup for over 15 years.
Partnering with Fergus-based Maranatha Christian School for several years, it aims to teach youth the importance of caring for the environment.
Roadside cleanup coordinator Brian Martin was pleasantly surprised when told the club won the $750 grand prize.
“It’s wonderful news,” he told the Advertiser.
He took over responsibility for the cleanup in 2013 and feels “rewarded” each year.
“The only time we missed [a cleanup] was in 2020 during COVID-19,” he explained. “We were doing two cleanups, one in the spring [and] one in the fall, but as time went on we found we were picking up less and less.”
So the club decided to annually conduct one big cleanup.
Teaming up with the school was a breeze, as the curriculum permits participation in outside activities that benefit students.
“This was students giving up their own time … to do some community service and help the community,” Martin said.
Cleanups took place on Saturdays on both sides of Highway 6 South, from Tower St. S. to the 4th line.
“The partnership provided the students a chance to perform civic duties,” he stated. “These kids are wonderful, they have the best attitude … they make a fun day of it.”
Maranatha Christian School students put their best foot forward on roadside cleanup days. Submitted photo
Grade 8 student volunteers, along with teachers and Lions Club members, were given garbage bags and other necessities by Emcon Services, a company who performs highway maintenance.
“At one time we had 50 kids volunteering,” he said.
After the cleanups, as a thank-you to the students, the club donates funds towards Maranatha school programs.
“The partnership was a success, and a large number of students and Lions Club members performed these cleanups without fail … making the southern approaches to the Town of Fergus more appealing,” said Martin.
Mount Forest Green Team
The second place winner was the Mount Forest Green Team.
During April, the team hosted a community cleanup, planted seven large trees as well as 70 saplings, and hosted a herbalist-guided nature walk allowing guests to explore a wide variety of trees and plants.
It also teamed up with Wellington Heights Secondary School’s Community Environmental Leadership Program to pick up garbage and ended the day by planting two pear trees at the Mount Forest Community Garden.
“That’s what our green team is all about; we try to not restrict it to just Earth week,” team member Daphne Rappard told the Advertiser.
The team began in 2020 as an outreach of Mount Forest United Church, and now has over 30 community members.
“Our focus has been on protecting and enhancing our local environment, with emphasis on active engagement and education,” Rappard stated.
The Green Team is currently working in cooperation with the Township of Wellington North to create an inventory of all municipal trees. The goal is to improve tree preservation and protection policies at a township level.
“We have presented delegations and petitions to council that have actually resulted in the preservation of a significant number of legacy trees,” she stated in her group’s application.
Rappard noted the group’s success in launching a local chapter of Tree Trust, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving older trees through expert assessment.
Asked why the team decided to apply, she replied, “I thought we’re as good as anybody else.”
The Mount Forest Green Team called on volunteers to join a town-wide garbage cleanup on April 19. Submitted photo
Optimist Club of Puslinch
Coming in third place was the Optimist Club of Puslinch.
“I thought it was a great idea to have the contest,” club member Catherine Featherston said.
Every year the Optimists organize a township cleanup event, which began in the 1980s.
The event covers all roads in the township’s rural areas.
“It’s that time of year when things show up after the snow melts and it’s a shame … but it gets everyone involved and brings awareness to the littering and the impact it has,” said Featherston.
With the help of township staff, council, club members and local residents, over 2,000 garbage bags and information flyers are hand-delivered to mailboxes across the community.
“On cleanup day, residents are encouraged to gather litter into the bags and place the bags, along with any other garbage found in the ditch, up at the road,” stated Featherston’s contest submission.
Once the bags are filled a team of trucks, equipped with volunteer drivers, picks up the garbage and disposes it responsibly.
Last year the event resulted in over 3,400kg of garbage collected.
“I hope it makes people think twice before disposing of garbage and just your general use of plastics,” she said.
Featherston noted she is excited about the contest prize, as “it goes back into the community and helping youth.”
Family tradition
The Advertiser’s honourable mention includes three children and a mother who share a dedication to their local environment.
“They don’t do it for any reward or recognition, so I thought it was neat there was a program out there,” Margaret Ribey said in an interview.
The story began when the Ribey family moved to the country, near Belwood, when her son was one.
When he was able to walk they started ditch clean up, Ribey noted, adding, “As our family grew, we have more helpers.”
Because the family lived near the Belwood transfer station “a lot of unintentional garbage” ended up in the ditches.
At first the family cleanup team couldn’t walk very far, so they would settle for a few hundred metres and then head home. Fast forward to 2025, and the annual event now spans the “entire concession,” approximately 4km of ditch.
“It’s something everybody can do, it’s a little bit of effort,” Ribey said.
She noted garbage can find its way onto agricultural fields where food is grown, “so putting a bit of effort into cleaning those areas benefits everyone.”
She added, “Our impact may not be huge within our community, but they make a small difference each and every year.
“What’s more important is the lessons instilled in them will result in a lifetime of understanding that it is everyone’s responsibility to clean up your community and Earth.”
Publisher thankful
“We were so happy to see many people doing something extraordinary for their community,” Advertiser publisher Dave Adsett stated.
He noted it is great to see partnerships between service clubs and schools.
“Generations working together for community benefit is what makes Canada strong,” he said.
“Imagine if more people stepped up to participate in making their community look better.”
