The Ashburnham Memorial Stewardship Group (AMSG) is inviting community members to lend a hand for the upcoming spring clean-up of “an iconic location” in Peterborough’s East City community.
AMSG is hosting a rain-or-shine event on Saturday, April 13 at Ashburnham Memorial Park — better known as “Armour Hill” to locals. The event is slated to get underway at 10 a.m. and the agenda includes a celebration and clean-up of the park, located at 300 Hunter Street East.
The Armour Hill event is important for the Peterborough community, says Jenn McCallum, co-founder of the AMSG.
“Armour Hill is an iconic location in Peterborough, with beautiful views over the city,” McCallum told kawarthaNOW.
It is the tallest drumlin within the Peterborough drumlin field and features a war memorial to commemorate World War 1 veterans.
“Cleaning up the hill is important to show the park some love, because unfortunately, illegal garbage dumping is an ingrained and regular activity that happens within the park,” McCallum said. “Cleaning up this space shows stewardship and care for the park, both for its human and animal visitors,”
The AMSG hosts two park clean-ups annually, one in April and one in November.
McCallum is hopeful for a great turnout for Saturday’s clean-up. Typically, 50 to 60 people participate in the clean-up endeavours. All are welcome to attend, including children and pets.
“We’d love to have a great turnout for the event and at our future ones, and for everyone to enjoy their time in the park.”
When asked what would be the best possible outcome, McCallum looked ahead.
“In the future and for the long term, we would love to see the parking lot at the top of Armour Hill changed to be a people-friendly space,” she said. “Currently, as a large paved parking lot with no delineated parking spaces, it is a car-centric culture, where people come to enjoy the views and leave the garbage behind.”
“We would love to see this space become a beautiful space that people come to enjoy, to picnic and see the views, while respecting the space and properly disposing of their garbage.”
The regular cleanups, which the AMSG has been hosting since November 2021, help keep the 14-acre urban forest safe and clean.
This year’s events focus on community engagement, which will inform the development of a conceptual drawing of the top of Armour Hill as “an active transportation and community space, rather than a drab, garbage-littered parking lot.”
Those who wish to participate in the April event are asked to gather at the Heritage Pavilion, located at the top of Armour Hill, near the Peterborough Museum & Archives. Volunteers should bring a mug and a water bottle, work gloves if desired, and dress in weather-appropriate clothes. Snacks, hot beverages, and clear garbage bags will be provided.
If arriving after the land acknowledgement and orientation, volunteers should check in with one of the organizers, who will be manning a table on the hill. ASMG said keeping track of numbers helps the group receive funding.
Because it is the highest point in Peterborough, Armour Hill is a popular destination during the summer — largely because of the commanding views — and during the winter for tobogganing.
Previous fall and spring clean-up events collected a total of 36 bags of garbage, four bags of recyclables, and several large items including tires and wheels, signposts, doors, and mirrors. More than two-and-a-half pounds of cigarette butts have been removed from the park by Donna Reid’s Butt 1 community initiative for charity.
For more information about Ashburnham Memorial Stewardship Group, including how to get involved, visit ashburnhamstewardship.com.
