Humber River clean-up is flowing concern
Eighteen-year Toronto firefighter veteran Rick Crawford may no longer be fighting fires, but he is fighting to remove the junk in the Humber River.
Crawford, 42, is the president of a full service junk removal company called RID-OF-IT, which serves both residential and commercial areas. As the owner of the company since 2007, Crawford commits not only to his customers but also to the community.
Most people are aware of the environmental issues, which have derived from infrastructure and contamination problems, in the Don River. However, many don’t know about the large amount of garbage in the Humber River. As spring begins, more junk and debris become visible in the Humber River area.
On Sept. 11, 2013, Crawford gathered 10 employees and 20 volunteers for the third annual Humber River clean-up. They collected a shocking 20 cubic yards of junk which included the typical massive number of plastic bottles, as well as the less-typical: shopping carts, flat screen TVs, a portable toilet and car seats. Most unusual of all was a Polish message in a bottle, that has yet to be translated.
“We got a lot of exposure, it heightened awareness, which is a good thing,” Crawford said.
Being a paddler and an outdoors type for a long time, Crawford has always been in touch with the environment. He tries to take his children on the same path by showing them that doing small things can help the environment in a big way.
“When I’m out with my kids, hiking or whatever we are doing, we go canoeing at the cottage, we always come back with a boat full of stuff, just pick up as we go,” Crawford says.
Simple things like disposing of garbage in the proper place, or just picking up garbage on the ground, could go a long way- especially if everyone did them, he added.
Crawford calls upon anyone who wants to get involved to visit his website, www.ridofittoronto.com or call 1-800-RID-OF-IT. He is planning on tackling the Don River this spring, and is also planning next year’s Humber River clean-up.
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