Annual '20 Minute Makeover' takes place across the city ahead of Earth Day
Ahead of Earth Day this Monday, April 22, the annual 20 Minute Makeover took place Friday.
"We want to give back to the community, we're part of the community here, so we want to come back out and make sure everybody is enjoying their time, cleaning up around the city and just beautifying London,” said volunteer Cleveland Brownlee, district operations manager with Better Bin.
If you didn't get the chance to get involved Friday, Londoners can also participate in London Clean & Green’s community-wide clean up day Saturday.
"It's been a long-standing program, 29th year, it has grown from a small group of people to thousands of Londoners that take part and take pride in their area, where they live,” said Jay Stanford, the director of Climate Change, Environment and Waste Management with the City of London.
Earth Day is celebrated annually on April 22, and was first held in 1970. It is now recognized globally.
Volunteer Carmela Ianni has been involved with the Clean and Green program since its inception and said she has noticed a positive change.
"Huge difference, specifically with graffiti. This is how we started off, it was graffiti and garbage clean up, litter, trash...big difference,” explained Ianni.
Ward 7 Coun. Corinne Rahman was on hand Friday, and said there is still more work to be done.
"It’s something this council is committed to, however, we also have to have the financial commitment, and that's something we worked on in the multi-year budget, but absolutely we could have done more,” explained Rahman.
The city is also holding it's third annual EarthFest this weekend, celebrating environmental action through music, art, activities, vendor booths, and green food and fun.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Looking over our shoulders': A killing looms large in a little B.C. town
Something shifted in the pretty little village of Lumby, B.C., after Tatjana Stefanski vanished. It used to be the sort of place where parents let their kids roam free or play in the local creek, but everything has changed.
Toronto man falls off his chair after seeing $70M Lotto Max win in his bank account
A Toronto man who won $70 million in a recent Lotto Max draw literally fell off his chair when he saw the funds in his bank account.
Montreal-area high school students protest 'sexist' dress code
Approximately 50 Montreal-area students — the vast majority of them female — were suspended Wednesday after their school deemed the shorts they were wearing were too short. On Thursday, several students staged a walk-out to protest what they believe is a "sexist" dress code that unfairly targets girls.
Officer who arrested Scottie Scheffler is being disciplined for not having bodycam activated
The Kentucky police officer who arrested top-ranked golfer Scottie Scheffler outside the PGA Championship is receiving 'corrective action' for failing to have his body-worn camera activated.
'It's over': Minister says B.C.'s decision on Surrey police transition upheld in court
The B.C. Supreme Court has ruled in the provincial government's favour on the City of Surrey's legal challenge to its ongoing transition to a municipal police force, according to B.C. Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth.
Luxury beauty brand Clarins to pull out of Hudson's Bay stores in Canada
French luxury makeup and skincare brand Clarins is pulling out of Hudson's Bay stores in Canada.
Air travel is expensive. WestJet wants the government to do more to change that
WestJet is asking the federal government to put measures in place to lower ticket costs for travellers, but questions remain on who would foot the bill.
American Airlines retreats after blaming a 9-year-old for not seeing a hidden camera in a lavatory
American Airlines has distanced itself from a court filing in which the carrier said a nine-year-old girl should have noticed there was a camera taped to the seat of an airplane lavatory.
Ottawa police investigating death of a gosling in Kanata
Ottawa police are investigating after someone allegedly stomped on a gosling in Kanata. Police say it appears that Canada geese laid eggs in the area, 'and on May 21, a suspect stomped on one of the hatched babies.'