Year after year, bag after bag, volunteers with Save Our Seine have worked each summer since 1994 in order to ensure the Seine River in Winnipeg is free from as much garbage, refuse and other debris along the 26-kilometre stretch of water and greenway. Each summer, Save Our Seine hires a number of teens and young adults aged 15-29 to perform the clean-ups, scouring the meandering waterway via canoe with an ample application of mosquito repellant. On Thursday, those efforts were celebrated at John Bruce Park along the banks of the Seine, where members of the group partook in a BBQ.
Monique Ellison is the summer team coordinator with Save Our Seine this year, she says the work is really rewarding, and it’s made even better through the comradery fostered each summer. “I think some of my favourite things, honestly, are the friendships you make with the team,” Ellison said. “We’re in such close quarters, in our truck, and in our canoe.
We smell gross, we’re dirty, and you end up building really good friendships with the people on your team.” Story continues below advertisement And while the work can be demanding at times, the payoff is seeing people getting out and enjoying the river itself year-round. The email you need for the day's top news stories from Canada and around the world.
“I really enjoy watching people enjoy the Seine River and use it,” explained Ellison. “There’s people that come here and use the canoe launch every single day. Even in the winte.