Operation Clean Sweep attracts students, faculty and staff

The Fisheries and Marine Institute (MI) of Memorial University of Newfoundland and its surrounding grounds and neighborhood received some spring cleaning on Tuesday, May 31 as the second annual Operation Clean Sweep took place

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Operation Clean Sweep was organized by the Canadian Forces Naval Engineering School (CFNES) Detachment, which has been located at the Marine Institute since 1992, and was supported by MI’s Sustainability Committee.

MI faculty, staff and students joined the Detachment students in the cleanup, with everyone involved in the project getting together for an afternoon barbeque afterwards.

“It is customary on Canadian Forces Bases across Canada for the personnel who live and work on those bases to conduct an annual spring cleanup to remove litter and other debris that collects during the winter,” said Lt. Cmdr. Stewart Hughes, coordinator of Operation Clean Sweep. “This helps build morale and inspire our students as they take ownership and pride in their base.”

The Detachment students annual spring clean-up of Marine Institute grounds and the surrounding neighborhoods was first held in May of 2010. The event is expected to be an annual occurrence at MI.

At the 2010 event, close to 100 bags of garbage, a refrigerator, two engine blocks and old car tires were collected, and then removed, from campus grounds. This year, 50 bags of garbage were collected by the individuals taking part, in addition to a washing machine drum, a heavily corroded truck body and several other large items.

“The Marine Institute is honoured to be the home base of the Canadian Forces Naval Engineering School-St. John's, the largest detachment in the province. These young men and women continually display a great deal of pride and honour in their home base and contribute greatly to the positive atmosphere at MI,” said Glenn Blackwood, executive director, Marine Institute. “In organizing an annual spring cleanup of our campus and the surrounding neighborhood, the Detachment students have demonstrated a great deal of enthusiasm and environmental stewardship. I want to thank all the participants who joined the Detachment students today; it was great to see everyone from the Institute work together toward a common goal.”