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
New Norad commander calls Canada's defence policy update 'very encouraging'
American troops will be spending more time training in the Far North, the new commander of Norad says, a strategy that fits 'hand-in-glove' with Canada's renewed focus on Arctic defence.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Are Canadians getting sick from expired food?
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.