Ride the Wave of Green!
William Osler Park and its wading pool will burst in colour today, thanks to the wave of green-clad students this summer.
Now in its ninth season, Green Wave is funded by both the City of Winnipeg and BFI Canada, and is administered by Take Pride Winnipeg!. Today, the Green Wave will be painting a park building and benches at William Osler Park (Brock Street at Mathers Avenue) while helping local children put their handprints on the wall. A litter cleanup of the area will also take place.
"In addition to the efforts of thousands of volunteers each year, we also employ summer staff to assist in making Winnipeg clean and beautiful," said Tom Ethans, executive director at Take Pride Winnipeg! Inc. “Fourteen Green Wave and four Graffiti Control staff will be helping to spruce up neighbourhoods around the city.”
Green Wave employs 14 youth aged 16 to 19 for the summer months, who assist Winnipeg BIZ zones to keep their neighbourhood clean and beautiful. In addition, special event days are planned each summer for special projects outside of BIZ zones. The Green Wavers may be involved in activities such as litter pickup, graffiti removal, planter maintenance and park restoration.
“The Green Wave program has made a positive impact when it comes to how our public spaces are enjoyed and used – and the response from the BIZ Zones and the community has been phenomenal. People often think that a fresh coat of paint, graffiti removal and plant care are small changes, but small changes add up to make big differences,” said Mayor Sam Katz. “Not only that, but the work the Green Wave students do inspires the community to take pride and get involved, as well. The City of Winnipeg is proud to fund the Green Wave program since 2006.”
Take Pride Winnipeg! wishes to thank its partners of the Green Wave program, City of Winnipeg and BFI Canada, for all their support.
See photos from past Green Wave projects on our Facebook page.