Image: Ryan Smith, Hope Community Cleanup Society / Abandoned shopping carts and other garbage near a riverfront site in Hope.

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Volunteers clean up

Volunteers clean up garbage strewn throughout riverfront site in Hope

Apr 23, 2025 | 11:43 AM

HOPE — Volunteers from Hope and Chilliwack alike teamed up over the Easter long weekend to remove a multitude of accumulated garbage near a riverfront site in Hope.

Aided by longtime Chilliwack resident Ross Aikenhead, Jim Lasser from Tri-West Contracting, and others like backhoe operator Darcy Baker, volunteers spent hours lending a hand near Fraser Avenue and Water Avenue in Hope, that resulted in three heaping trailer loads of garbage, over 10 tires, at least 20 propane tanks and multiple pallets being removed.

“Even though it wasn’t a huge turn out, we put in a massive effort,” said Ryan Smith of the Hope Community Cleanup Society. “For everyone that did show up, thank you very much. It was so nice meeting some of you and great to see the rest of you.”

Image: Ryan Smith, Hope Community Cleanup Society

Smith extended special thanks to Aikenhead, Lasser, Baker and the Communities in Bloom members.

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“As always Jim Lasser with Tri-West contracting was incredibly generous in volunteering their equipment and time, they removed the fith wheel trailer frame that was there,” Smith said. “Darcy Baker was a game changer for us. He spent the day operating the backhoe pulling cable loads of shopping carts and scrap metal up that hill while the other volunteers worked hard bagging as much of the loose garbage as we could get today. Thanks to Nikita Aikenhead from Chilliwack cleanup for bringing his trailer and lending his expertise.”

Image: Ryan Smith, Hope Community Cleanup Society / Cleanup effort Saturday.

A group also cleaned a bunch of trash around the entrance to the area and along an access road, and remediated debris left over from an encampment from across the tracks, Smith said.

“A huge debt of gratitude goes to Graham Betts from Emil Anderson for generously allowing us the use of their dump facilities,” Smith said. “They are a great community partner. We couldn’t do what we do without support like that.”