Cleaning the Capital - With WESNO

WESNO will be hosting a clean-up of Minto Park for this year's Cleaning the Capital Program run by the City of Ottawa. Kits will be provided to those who register here to assist in the litter pick-up. Please note, in the case of inclement weather, our rain date will be May 3, 2026 at 2pm.

You should do everything you can to ensure that you are safe during your cleanup project. Some basic safety rules include:

• Never touch a needle with your hands. If you find a discarded needle or other drug paraphernalia, call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401) to dispatch City staff to retrieve the item(s). For more information, visit Ottawa Public Health: Discarded Needles in our Communities(link is external).
• Have volunteers sanitize their hands or inform them where they can use a hand washing station.
• Wear gloves and appropriate footwear.
• Wear pants and long-sleeved shirts.
• If cleaning near a roadway, wear a safety vest or bright coloured clothing and clean only the non-travelled portion of a roadway.
• Do not lift heavy objects.
• Supervise children in their cleanup efforts and emphasize that safety comes first.
• There must be one adult present for every six children less than 12 years of age and you must obtain consent from the legal guardian of those participants.
• Children must never touch items like glass, broken wood, metal, or household hazardous waste. It’s a good idea to double up your garbage bags for transporting these items.
• Be aware of your surroundings and the potential hazards (i.e. poison ivy, wild parsnip, streams and branches) and remember to put on protective eyewear as necessary.

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