On October 23, the entire CCS student body, along with numerous teachers, spent the morning cleaning up yards across Canora.
Canora Cleanup Day was created as a joint effort between the school and the Town of Canora. Brandi Zavislak, community development officer, said she was approached by Leona Kitchen, teacher, regarding holding such an event.
Kitchen said the student body was joined in the cleanup effort by the majority of the staff members. The event was timed to coincide with Education Week, celebrated in Saskatchewan this year from October 20 to 26.
“This was a great way to connect with this year’s Education Week theme of "Working and Learning Together" as we had students working together helping to clean up our community,” said Kitchen. “It gave the students the opportunity to learn that "many hands make light work" and how many people it takes to clean big areas such as Cummings Court or King George Park.
It was also an excellent opportunity for some morning physical activity and to wake up our brains for learning in the classroom the rest of the day.”
Brandi Zavislak, community development officer, said over 200 biodegradable garbage bags full of leaves and other garbage were collected during the morning.
She said originally, those interested in having work done in their yards were asked to register with her or at the Town of Canora main office. When only 20 such registrations were submitted, Kitchen asked if it would be all right if the CCS group went to other yards as well, and Zavislak said, “sure,” and they worked at numerous yards around Canora which hadn’t been registered.
Zavislak said this event teaches students about the value of volunteerism and allows them to feel good about themselves after they see what’s been accomplished. It keeps the community clean and appealing to visitors who might be thinking about moving to and/or starting a business in Canora.
“At the same time, students are giving back to seniors who have worked hard for many years but may no longer be able to do cleanup work around their yards,” said Zavislak.
One of those seniors is Russell Bartko, who said he had approximately 20 students show up to clean the leaves off his yard on Centre Avenue East. Bartko said it was especially meaningful since he had recently realized that he would no longer be able to maintain his yard in the fall.
He showed his appreciation by writing a letter to CCS.
“I wanted to express my sincere thanks and gratitude for a job extremely well done by your teachers and students involved in giving of their time to the seniors of Canora by removing the leaves from our yards as organized by Brandi Zavislak, the Town of Canora and the staff of the main office,” said Bartko.
“I know that this act of kindness will long be remembered by the senior residents of this fine town. I can speak from my own experience after having volunteered with Saskatchewan Justice, Government of Saskatchewan and Family Services, Youth Protection in Saskatoon for many years. I found volunteering to be the most valuable and rewarding experience in my lifetime. I was able to give back to the community and learn so much about how individuals live and the hardships they experience.
“The act of volunteering changes the climate of a community and the rewards are endless. I encourage you to continue this fine act of giving throughout your lives, if possible,” continued Bartko.
After the success of this Canora Cleanup Day, Zavislak said she hopes it will become a regular event in the future.
