A recent endeavour to clean up Jackson Park has left an impression beyond a tidier green space on Parkhill Road West in Peterborough.
On November 25, members of the environmental action group Friends of Jackson Park (FoJP) and volunteers collected 45 large plastic bags of refuse, 11 propane tanks, a roll of rusty fencing, and other junk in their quest to tidy up the park.
Much of the trash was generated by encampments in Jackson Park. In a recent email newsletter to supporters, FoJP noted encampments and other activities are creating mounds of litter and hazards in the park.
“Unfortunately, there are other messy sites, and encampments are likely to continue to occur,” reads the newsletter. “We need to keep working on solutions so that the valley and people can be healthy, safe, and in a good home.”
While the renewed space is a reward of the crew’s efforts, something else also came to light on clean-up day.
“There are many people who care for the park’s environment and who want to support it as a safe sanctuary for residents and visitors to explore and enjoy nature,” a representative from FoJP told kawarthaNOW.
VIDEO: Refuse in Jackson Park
During the November 25th clean-up, a group of 10 people collected the trash and a crew from the City of Peterborough hauled it away. An earlier FoJP clean-up had filled 20 bags of garbage from the park.
“Kudos to all the FoJP folks and volunteers for this great work,” reads the newsletter. “We hope the site can now heal.”
When asked what’s next, the FoJP representative told kawarthaNOW the group continues “to renew and refocus its efforts on launching a ‘New Day’ for Jackson Park and greenspace protection in Peterborough, which we kicked off with an event in Jackson Park this past July.”
“Over the winter and into next spring, FoJP wants to continue broadening engagement and connections with the community and everyone who cares about protecting Jackson Park’s natural features and recreational spaces,” the representative said.
“We hope for continued engagement with the community to include things like announcing our new mission and vision statements, creating user-friendly mapping of Jackson Park, researching and drafting ideas for proper stewardship planning, and planning activities in the park like more litter pick-ups.”
FoJP welcomes new volunteers who are willing to lead those or other activities. Reach out via e-mail to friendsofjacksonpark@gmail.com for more information about volunteering and to sign up for a newsletter to stay informed about the latest activities.
FoJP was founded in 2011 by Peterborough resident Rob Steinman to protect Jackson Park from a plan by the City of Peterborough to extend the Parkway through the park. Beginning in 2013, in partnership with Karen Hjort-Jensen and Peter Hewitt, Steinman led community efforts to stop the proposed extension.
The Parkway extension would have seen a road and four-lane bridge constructed through the heart of the park. During the decade of opposition and environmental action led by FoJP, the Ontario Minister of Environment and Climate Change ordered the city in 2016 to complete a full environmental assessment, with city council eventually voting to remove the Parkway from the city’s official plan and to give Jackson Park heritage designation in 2021, and to remove the Parkway from the transportation master plan in 2022.
In November, the Rotary Club of Peterborough Kawartha named Steinman as a Paul Harris Fellow in recognition of his environmental advocacy work through the local action group.
