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Winnipeg Free Press
Wednesday, June 4, 2003
by Bob Armstrong
The battle to defend the Seine River is getting more and
more reinforcements. Two major cleanup and planting events are
scheduled for this month to help bring back two different sections
of the river to a more natural state.
The Save our Seine organization and the Marlene Street Tenants
Association will come together on June 7 to repair manmade destruction
on a five or six acre parcel of land that was at one time a dumping
ground. On June 14, the 176 Boeing of Canada squadron of the Air
Cadets will work on a section of river from Fermor Avenue to Bonita
Drive, where trash from apartment dumpsters and parking lots has
been dumped into the river.
"There's a lot of hurt all along that river," says Dave Danyluk,
co-ordinator of Save our Seine.
Fortunately, the river has a growing number of friends and allies
to pick up trash, plant trees and raise funds for environmental
work.
At the annual meeting of SOS last week, members heard updates
on a number of protection projects. The organization has raised
$110,000 for its planned Bois-des-esprits natural park in southern
St. Vital, and has received support from one of Canada's most
famous environmental advocates, wildlife painter Robert Bateman,
who has donated a signed art book for an SOS fund-raiser. The
group has also raised funds for a new footbridge in St. Boniface
and is developing riffles (artificial rapids) to improve water
levels, fish habitat and oxygen content in the river. SOS even
works to protect the river forests from a growing population of
urban beavers by putting wire mesh over trees. There's an estimated
100 of the destructive dam-building animals along 27 kilometres
of river in the city.
Tree plantings, dubbed "greenings," and cleanup events attract
volunteers to the little winding river.
The June 7 greening of the old dump site at Marlene Street is
the second attempt to rehabilitate the disturbed ground, which
was also at one time a dump site for snow from city streets. Only
about 30 per cent of the trees planted on the site last year survived.
This year, organizers are planting larger trees, says Danyluk.
An SOS Green Team will water the new trees as needed. Manitoba
Hydro has donated money for trees, which SOS has selected with
advice from city naturalist Cheryl Hemming. Planters will apply
additional topsoil, weed blankets and water to give the new trees
a chance.
Some of the most visible environmental damage at the old dump
site is in the form of rusting car bodies poking up out of the
ground.
"If we had somebody volunteer with heavy equipment we might be
able to pull it out of the ground, or with a metal cutting torch
to cut it away. This may be least damaging to the vegetation,"
says Danyluk. A few kilometres north of the Marlene Street location,
shopping carts and couches rust and rot amid the river's wildlife.
"I live right on the Seine," says David Blair, a teacher and
organizer of the Air Cadet cleanup. "I moved here last fall and
noticed how bad it was. "The biggest problem here is that lots
of shopping carts, furniture and garbage gets left by the bins
behind the apartment buildings."
Blair mentioned the riverside mess to his friend, Lt. Joel Templeman,
who teaches survival to Air Cadets. From there it grew into the
project for the youths, aged 13 to 17, who meet at St. Boniface
Arts and Technology Centre. The young volunteers will work all
day at the cleanup as part of the Cadets Caring for Canada program.
With a headquarters tent and walkie talkies, the environmental
defenders will carry out their mission like a military exercise.
If it weren't for the garbage, the stretch of river south of
Fermor, with extensive forest on the east side of the stream,
would be a natural treasure. Blair notes that he's seen beavers
and blue herons along the valley.
While the June 14 cleanup is an Air Cadets' project, volunteers
are invited to the June 7 greening at Marlene Street and Beliveau
Road, starting at 10 a.m. In the event of rain, the greening will
be held June 8. Contact Danyluk at 470-9247.
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