The Pender Harbour Hiking group organizes two annual community clean-up events: the summer Roadside Trash Bash (typically in June) and the fall Backwoods Trash Bash (typically in September).
These half-day events focus on cleaning up illegal dumpsites and roadside litter, inviting all community members to participate. After the morning’s work, volunteers are treated to a complimentary lunch.
Our efforts are supported by generous donations from local businesses and organizations, including:
– Sunshine Coast Credit Union
– Rona
– IGA
– Kleindale Supply
– Various forestry companies
For larger clean-up sites involving boats, trailers, cars, and trucks, we receive additional funding from various sources.
How You Can Help:
1. Participate in the Trash Bashes
2. Report illegal dump sites: If you know of any, please note the location (GPS coordinates preferred) and email rpicketts@telus.net.
3. Report illegal dumping: Call the BC Conservation Service RAPP (Report All Poachers and Polluters) line at 1-877-952-7277
We strongly discourage illegal dumping and encourage proper waste disposal at our local transfer station.
Look to the sidebar for information and results for recent Trash Bash results.
Join us in keeping our community clean and beautiful!
PHARA and the SCRD would like to thank all the volunteers who joined together for the tenth Annual Backroad Trash Bash on Saturday, September 16. Thanks to all your help, 23 sites and the roadsides of Pender Harbour were cleaned up.
Through your efforts 4,830 kilograms of waste, 8 appliances and 86 tires were removed from the backroads from Middle Point to Egmont. Volunteers were very surprised to find lots of cigarette butts considering how dry the conditions were since the last roadside clean up and staff would like to remind residents that appliances are free to drop at the Pender Harbour Transfer Station.
Volunteers included community residents, members of Sunshine Coast Off-Road Club, and representatives from AJM Disposal, BC Natural Resources Office, BC Conservation Service, Salish Soils and the SCRD.
Special thanks to Pender Harbour Hikers and Pender Harbour Lions Park for helping to set up the event, Don White for donating time and heavy machinery to get harder to reach items, and to sponsors RONA Madeira Park Store, IGA Madeira Park and Kleindale Supply for the donations of supplies for the volunteers.
On Saturday Oct 16, despite sometimes torrential rain, 31 volunteers were on hand for this year’s Roadside Cleanup and Backwoods Trash Bash. In the end 1,465 kg of garbage, 670 kg of scrap metal and 180 refundable cans and bottles were collected. The Backwoods Trash Bash included several abandoned trailers loaded with garbage including a mattress, tires and propane tanks.
The Roadside cleanup took place along the back route from the Health Centre to Madeira Park Road (to Hwy 101) and with limited (weather making it more unsafe) along Hwy 101. It took nine pickup trucks to transport all this to the Pender Harbour Transfer Station.
Afterwards, the Pender Harbour Rotary Club, one of our generous sponsors, provided volunteers with pizzas from Harbour Pizza. The event was organized by Pender Harbour Hikers in conjunction with the Pender Harbour and Area Residents Association (PHARA.ca). Other sponsors included the Sunshine Coast Credit Union, IGA, RONA and the Sunshine Coast Regional District. A very BIG thank you to our sponsors and volunteers.
Two trash bashes took place in 2019. The first, on June 27, focussed on cleaning up trash from the highway and major feeder roads. 280 kg of garbage was collected by about a dozen volunteers. The second was held Sept 7 and targeted trash illegally dumped on our backroads. About 30 volunteers collected just under 2,000 kg of garbage.
Both events were organized by long-time PHARA heroes and Trash Bash veterans Steve Luchkow and Randy Picketts with support from the SCRD. Following the morning’s work, volunteers received a complimentary lunch provided by the Pender Harbour Rotary Club and the Sunshine Coast Credit Union. Thanks to everyone who volunteered and thanks for the excellent lunch from Harbour Pizza.
The Backwoods Trash Bash and the Roadside Cleanup events are consistent with objectives of PHARA: Keeping our communities clean and to help volunteers initiate and complete community improvement projects. To become involved in future Trash Bashes, please contact Randy Picketts at rpicketts@telus.net or phone 604-989-1693.
