Metro Vancouver woman highlights dangers of glass shards by collecting them from local beach
A Port Moody woman is fed up with what she calls a dangerous problem on her local beach, so she took matters into her own hands.
Sylvia Swan, a long-time Port Moody resident, regularly swims at Old Orchard Park beach and when she does, she often finds shards of glass.
“It’s pathetic the city hasn’t done anything about this problem,” she said.
Swan said she’s always picked up the shards and thrown them in the garbage, but it was only in the past few days that she’s been collecting the shards and labelling each container with how many pieces are found each day.
She said she and other swimmers have found between 60 and 90 each time.
“We’re trying to get as many as we can so hopefully we can make a dent in the situation, but the situation is when the tide comes in twice a day, it’s rolling the glass in with it,” she said.
Swan said she has had her foot cut by a piece of glass and doesn’t feel safe being barefoot in the sand.
She’s also witnessed children get cut while playing in the sand.
“It breaks my heart to see somebody trying to make a sand castle and they said, ‘Look, mummy, I found a shiny piece of glass.’ It just breaks my heart because we should be looking after them – that’s our job,” Swan said.
She also expresses concern for the wildlife which may inadvertently consume the glass.
Last week, the City of Port Moody launched a pilot project allowing public drinking at seven designated parks and beaches, including Old Orchard Park.
Swan is worried this will worsen the glass issue.
“The tide coming in can pick up a bottle and smash it on the rocks and they've got the same problem all over again with the glass,” she said.
Swan has met with a city staffer and wants to see immediate action taken.
Anna Mathewson, general manager of community services for the city, said they are taking the concerns seriously.
“Staff are following up on these concerns, some of which (like sand replenishment) are longer-term management actions,” Matthewson wrote in an email to CTV News Vancouver.
She said staff is also listening to Swan’s concerns about the public consumption of booze, adding they will be monitoring the locations of the pilot project closely.
“We will make adjustments as needed such as enhanced waste collection or additional signage or recycling bins at permitted sites,” she wrote.
Swan doesn't plan to stop picking up the shards until the city solves the issue.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.