As the snow melts away we’re bearing witness to garbage and litter all over Regina and it’s frustrating to see. People (I thought) are taught from an early age to not litter and keep our communities clean and welcoming. I’ve noticed, as I walk to work each morning, the amount of trash scattered everywhere from paper coffee cups, to old socks, wrappers, paper, and even bits of plastic. Why? Why in 2024 do we see the volume of litter on our sidewalks and boulevards that we do?

Situations like this often make people want to blame the city. They’re an easy target I suppose, but it comes down to individual responsibility. Yes, perhaps the City of Regina could add more garbage cans along sidewalks and parks, but it’s incumbent on all of us to keep our Queen City looking regal throughout the year. Many times I’ve seen people unwrap ice cream treats or unwrap the clear plastic packaging around a cigarette packet and just let it go. It’s up to the wind to decide where it will go, and usually it gets stuck in a hedge or up against a house. It looks awful. More than once I’ve chased after the wrappers and tossed them in the garbage myself.

I’ve said for a long time that if any city outside of the national capital should look absolutely spotless, it should be Regina. We are, after all, the Queen City, which means we need to look regal. We often forget that we live in a pretty great city despite what social media sites may say. Taking pride in one’s city begins with feeling optimistic and proud of what this place has to offer from the cost of living, the quick commute times, to the incredible prairie sunrises and sunsets. When we start taking pride in our provincial capital, I think you’ll notice the mood of residents will drastically improve, which in turn, makes visitors want to come back. You may think that picking up litter is just a courteous and simple thing to do, but really, it’s like ripples on a pond and you may not realize the impact your simple action may have.

Regardless of where you live I challenge and encourage everyone to litter less, pick up garbage in our neighbourhoods, and spend less time on negative, soul-sucking social media pages that degrade our communities rather than uplift them. To those who do their best to pick up litter and keep their corner of the city clean – thank you!