Every weekday morning before much of Lloydminster is awake, a small crew from the city’s Clean City Team is already walking the downtown, checking alleys and sidewalks for litter and hazards left overnight.
The team was launched June 8 as part of the City of Lloydminster’s effort to keep the downtown clean, welcoming and safe, according to a city release. It’s made up of four people working Monday to Friday, starting at 7 a.m.
The city has invested about $26,000 in the program to date.
For team members Jacob and Riley, the job has become about more than picking up garbage.
“The most rewarding part has been the people who stop to say nice things and thank us while we are working downtown,” Jacob said.
The recognition started almost right away.
“Within the first two weeks of starting the job, someone gave us a shoutout for cleaning up a spot in an alley next to their business,” Jacob said. “It was encouraging to see the value of the program being noticed so quickly.”
Riley remembers a business owner who came outside to say thanks and offered the team water while they worked.
Downtown business Quietude Massage Therapy and Wellness posted its own thank-you on social media this summer, saying the Clean City Team has been in and around the business multiple times and its support is appreciated.
“It feels very good,” Riley said. “When I look for a job, I look for one that I can find meaning in. In this case, I find meaning in it by knowing downtown is safer and more inviting because of the work we do.”
Part of the team’s work involves identifying and safely removing hazards from public spaces, including discarded sharps. Members are trained to handle those materials safely.
Both Jacob and Riley say they’re noticing the effort pay off.
“In the past few weeks, we have noticed a decrease in the number of sharps that we find,” Jacob said. “The amount of litter sitting downtown in general has also been less than when we first started.”
The daily walks have also given the team a new appreciation for parts of downtown Lloydminster that are easy to miss.
“There are actually a lot of really nice murals and artwork downtown for people to discover,” Jacob said.
Riley agrees, and hopes more residents take notice too.
“The paintings around downtown are beautiful and add so much character to the area,” Riley said. “I’d really encourage people in our community to come appreciate them up close.”
For Jacob and Riley, the measure of success comes down to small moments: a business owner who says thanks, a cleaner alley, a safer sidewalk, a downtown that feels a little more inviting to the people who live and work there.
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