Yellowknife city staffers walk the walk when it comes to picking up downtown litter

City of Yellowknife staffers John Fredericks, left, Paul Grismer, Geraldine Penney, Kathleen Lanteigne, Sheila Bassi-Kellett and Sarah Bercu. (John McFadden/CKLB photo)

A group of Yellowknife City staffers put their money where their mouths are last week as they took their lunch hour to clean up littler from downtown streets.

This is the third year for the project.

“The City of Yellowknife first introduced the ‘Green Team’ in 2017 and we are bringing it back to help keep the downtown clean!” stated Alison Harrower, communications and economic development officer for the city in an email. “The Green Team is madce up of city staff who volunteer their lunch hour every 2nd Tuesday, (throughout the summer) to picking up litter in Yellowknife’s downtown.”

Even the city’s top bureaucrat was more than happy to get involved.

Sheila Bassi-Kellett, Senior Administrative Officer, says it’s a worthwhile initiative and she’s pleaded to see staff volunteer.]

She adds however, that as a reformed smoker, she is frustrated by the number of cigarette butts left on city streets.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

John McFadden
John has been in the broadcast journalism industry since the 1980s. He has been a reporter in Yellowknife since 2012 and joined CKLB in January of 2018. John covers the crime and court beat as well as reporting on other areas including politics, business, entertainment and sports. He won seven national community newspaper awards while he was a journalist with Northern News Services Limited (NNSL). John worked in Ontario before coming North including stints as a TV sportscaster in Peterborough and senior news writer for CBC and CTV in downtown Toronto.