A group of Penticton girls are hoping to get city council害羞草研究所檚 attention after their community work revealed a nicotine-filled problem along the shores of Skaha Lake.
On May 4, the First Coyote Hills Girl Guides headed to the beach along Skaha Lake to conduct their annual cleanup.
害羞草研究所淪kaha Lake is well used by each of our girls, so we wanted to get out there. We have 18 girls so we could cleanup a large area. We covered the beach, playground and park area,害羞草研究所� said guide leader Amanda Davies.
The cleaners ranged in age from nine to 12 and Davies said the girls always enjoy the cleanup. This year they were tasked to locate the dirty dozen and identify what garbage they found the most of and how much of it. Unlike years past, all girls had the same answer 害羞草研究所� cigarettes.
害羞草研究所淎t the end of the garbage hunt I asked they what they were most surprised to find,害羞草研究所� explained Amanda. 害羞草研究所淚n past years they害羞草研究所檝e said things like socks or umbrellas, but this year they all yelled out cigarettes, they were flabbergasted with the amount they found.害羞草研究所�
The girls wanted to count the amount of butts found, so they added them all up and discovered they had collected 658 butts.
害羞草研究所淲e asked them what they thought they could do. There were some suggestions to make posters, ban smoking, but the older girls thought they should tell the government.害羞草研究所�
With that plan in mind each girl wrote a hand-written letter to Penticton City Council sharing their concerns over the mess on the beach.
害羞草研究所淐an you please do something to prevent people smoking in public parks please?害羞草研究所� reads one letter. 害羞草研究所淪mall kids could breath in the smoke and that would be really, really bad.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淧lease stop this chaos and start looking after your city,害羞草研究所� adds another girl guide. 害羞草研究所淥r else this world as we know it will not be the same.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淲e found 658 cigarettes and we are not very pleased about it,害羞草研究所� reads one more. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 bad.害羞草研究所�
Amanda害羞草研究所檚 daughter Rowyn Davies, 10, was one of the guides who cleaned up the beach and she said it was pretty gross to see all the butts.
害羞草研究所淲e found a lot of cigarette butts and plastic bags,害羞草研究所� said Rowyn.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 really, really bad for people to smoke, especially by parks and stuff. They just throw their butts everywhere and animals could come and think its food and eat it and die, which is really bad.害羞草研究所�
Rowyn wrote one of the letters to council, including some pictures.
害羞草研究所淚 drew no-smoking signs on them,害羞草研究所� said Rowyn, who hopes there is more signage and butt containers placed in the parks.
害羞草研究所淭hey still throw butts everywhere, but maybe it won害羞草研究所檛 be on the ground as much, it is a little better.害羞草研究所�
As for guide leader Amanda, she says the girls were truly impassioned to write to city council and they hope that they are heard.
害羞草研究所淭hat age group looks at this situation and believes if they write a letter, they can make a difference. They have such strong beliefs so they were very excited to make their voices heard,害羞草研究所� said Amanda.
害羞草研究所淭hey just feel that grown ups need to do more. They are going to inherit this world, so they are hoping something will be done.害羞草研究所�
The letters have since been delivered to city council and council said they appreciated the girl害羞草研究所檚 hard work and letters.
害羞草研究所淚 am so proud. You see these girls, and especially my daughter, just run right in as they think they can change the world and it just makes me so proud,害羞草研究所� said Amanda.
carmen.weld@bpdigital.ca
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