Cleaning up Rutland

He wasn’t sure if he could do it this year because of other commitments, but Christopher Bocskei said he couldn’t leave garbage scattered around Rutland through the winter.

He’s inviting locals to gather at Lions Park this Saturday, Oct. 26, for the annual Rutland Community Fall Cleanup.

“I’m pretty sure Tom will be there, our mayor Tom and (MP) Tracy Gray may be there. Tracy’s been to every one. But this one was a bit of a last minute I’m not sure if I’m going to do it because there wasn’t as many areas to tackle,” said Bocskei.

Earlier this year, the City of Kelowna launched a new on-call team with the Uptown Rutland Business Association. Bocskei has noticed a shift in where people are dumping trash or setting up encampments.

“The Rutland business area, it seems better than it was before and some of the areas of Dougall Road, maybe, are better than it was before. But the bus loop and Leathead Road, Chichester, there’s probably been about a dozen encampments there,” he said.

He said some kind-hearted individuals cleaned up most of the areas he had tagged for this year, but there are plenty of other sections of the community that volunteers will tackle on Saturday.

Boksei notes that there are at least two other groups that regularly volunteer to pick up debris from streets and greenspaces.

“That’s Rutlanders for ya!!” he wrote on Facebook.

Anyone interested in participating in the Rutland Community Fall Cleanup can show up at Lions Park from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. Volunteers will be given safety vests, gloves, garbage bags and pickers.