Civic Pride in Peril: Confronting the Issue of Waste in Our City

Our beautiful city, London Ontario, has numerous parks and a network of trails. I frequently walk on nearby trails where I encounter people of all ages, including groups of school children (and their teachers) joggers, cyclists, and children accompanied by parents, who feed ducks or catch and release frogs. But I am often saddened by the plastic bags and bottles, beer cans, coffee cups, styrofoam containers, candy wrappers, rotting food, empty snack bags, cardboard, paper, kleenex, cardboard boxes, and scrap paper that line our streets, spoil our trails and clog our parks. The amount of litter thrown on public property exceeds the capacity of City staff and ordinary Londoners who voluntarily pick up debris. 

Sister Pat with Jerry Pribil, London Council Member

A week ago, I spoke to Jerry Pribil, the Council member responsible for London’s parks and recreation departments, about the problem of trash in our city.  Mr. Pribil suggested that he accompany me on a walk. Accordingly, we walked along streets and the connecting North London trail adjacent to Ross Park. Mr. Pribil pulled a large garbage bag out of his pocket and proceeded to pick up garbage, hopping over the barrier along the ravine and reaching through bushes.  We mourned this regrettable garbage situation and discussed possible remedies.  I learned that Mr. Pribil, a member of Antler River Rally, participates in their monthly cleanups.  In these events, large groups of volunteers gather at an area in London bordering the Thames River to pick up and dispose of large amounts of trash. Information about this amazing organization may be found here. You may even want to join the group.

During our walk, we discussed the deplorable problem of garbage littering London’s parks, trails, and streets. Removing trash is essential but prevention is far more desirable than a cure; we need both. Occasional letters to the London Free Press indicate that Londoners are disturbed by the lack of cleanliness on our streets, trails, and parks. We require a culture shift. How, as a community, can we develop a mindset that views littering on our streets as unacceptable? How might organizations, businesses, and home or apartment owners help with the litter problem?  What constraints deter action and how can they be overcome?

I invite anyone reading this blog to respond by choosing to take one action towards resolving the problem of litter in our city.

-Sister Patricia McKeon, csj

Image: Markus Spiske/Unsplash

London’s Parks, Trails, and Streets: Gratitude and Dismay

LONDON, ONTARIO, CANADA

London, Ontario has more than 500 parks, 7 million trees, and in excess of 330 km of walking and biking trails, all maintained in excellent condition by our city staff.   This year, the abundance of rain has caused our trees, bushes, and grasses to bloom like a tropical rainforest.  London’s website provides abundant information to entice exploration of this richness. It is a great pleasure to explore our well-kept streets, parks, and trails. Yet, there is a blight that mars our city. The roads and pathways are infested with empty bottles, beer cans, plastic containers, coffee cups, tissues, candy wrappers, plastic bags, and other debris.  Although some Londoners don disposable gloves, pick up “junk”, and dispose of it in designated receptacles, the plague persists and seems to overpower benevolent efforts to eradicate it. 

Litter impacts our waterways

I wonder what transpires in the minds of those who treat public spaces as garbage cans.  Perhaps they were not properly educated about environmental responsibilities? Do offenders expect others to clean up after them?  Do they consider the effects of their actions on the beauty of our city or the pleasure of others?  

Nature & Litter - an unsightly mix

I know this is not unique to London and I wonder what could be done to develop a culture in which each of us feels responsible for creating and maintaining the natural attractions of one’s city. 

In a less than benevolent mood, I mused about imposing fines on offenders, assigning them to pick up debris, or scrub the graffiti from park benches, bridge support structures, and railings.  Sadly, I suspect that such measures would feed anger and instigate strident claims about “rights and freedoms”.  It is the selfless and caring actions of others, not criticism, that inspire me to be more generous and desirous of building community. So, some alternate suggestions come to mind: 

• Would our City Council and community businesses consider creating an honorary white knight position with the “knight” being appointed by Mayor Josh Morgan? The knight’s responsibility would be to distribute certificates and vouchers randomly to persons of any age whom he or she sees picking up garbage or cleaning graffiti.  

• Arrange for more garbage containers at convenient locations.  

• Order garbage bags and protective gloves to be supplied to volunteer environment protectors and enhancers. 

• Lead by word and example in properly disposing of the garbage we generate as we drive, bicycle, or walk on our streets, parks, and trails. 

• Donate vouchers to be awarded by the honorary white knight, e.g., a gift certificate for a coffee shop, grocery store, theatre production, hockey game, hydro bill payment, Blue Jays' game, Stratford play, iPad or phone.  

• Volunteer to remove graffiti from public places. 

• Select artists and aspiring artists to paint murals in appropriate locations.  

•  Publicize examples of how our combined efforts contribute to the splendor and enjoyment of our city.  

We can't solve the garbage problem alone, but together we can contribute our ideas, time, and talents to support and create a beautiful environment in London, Ontario, and in all of our cities.

-Sister Patricia McKeon, CSJ 

Encounters on the Trail

The rewards of walking on London, Ontario’s trails exceed that of mere exercise.   I meet friendly cyclists, walkers, pedestrians, and dogs.  I listen to birds, search for frogs in springtime, and experience the constant changes in the weather and scenery.  Occasionally there is an intriguing encounter. 

Image: Unsplash/Blake Lisk

Today I met a man, whom I will name, Joseph, who was walking up a slope from a tent on the river’s edge. He had descended to the tent to check on the welfare of the occupant because of the very cold temperature.  The tent’s owner was absent, and the walker expressed hope that the tent-dweller was in a safe, warm place.  Joseph spoke about his regular walking tours of London’s trails. He described having urged a tent dweller on another trail to seek temporary shelter; this man had declined the suggestion, stating that several blankets kept him sufficiently warm and that staying in a men’s shelter was too dangerous.  Joseph spoke of another occasion in which he had met a young female tent dweller, convinced her to leave her unsafe location, and assisted her to find refuge from her alcohol-addicted boyfriend. Walking the trails in London to search for people in need is a regular practice of this good Samaritan.  

We conversed together about the difficulties for people who have no homes, the lack of adequate resources, and the failure of past efforts to remedy a grievous problem in our city. We also noted the anonymous donation of twenty-five million dollars for a new effort to overcome homelessness, the willing cooperation of several organizations to remedy an untenable situation, and the skilled leadership from the city that together provide hope that London can, at last, overcome a longstanding calamity. 

Patricia McKeon, CSJ 

The Mother Tree

The Great Bear Rain Forest in British Columbia, although about one-tenth in size, is comparable to the Amazon rain forest, as one of the greatest contributors to the health of our planet.  This forest preserves the biodiversity of our animals and plants, stores carbon, is a source of medicine, and counteracts pollution.  Yet, in this forest, the lack of appropriate management and building of dams has resulted in increased pollution, floods, fires, and loss of habitat for animals.  Only three percent of this old-growth forest has never been harvested.  

Suzanne Simard was born in 1960, a member of a logging family.  As a child, she witnessed her grandfather, father, and uncles down trees with hand-held saws, and use horses to drag logs to rivers where men would walk on the floating logs to push them down river and break up log jams with dynamite. Amputated fingers were a common hazard.  In addition, building roads through the forest, using modern equipment, erecting dams, and clear-cutting large sections of the forest have caused much harm. The legacy of frequent forest fires, floods, loss of animal habitat, loss of biodiversity, and reduced carbon storage.   

In her 2021 book, Finding The Mother Tree, Simard describes her long journey to become a forest researcher, overcome resistance to letting go of harmful convictions and practices, and introduce new forest management practices.  Simard’s story is an amazing account of a woman who persisted in following her vision with great courage in the face of much opposition, family responsibilities, and a major health issue.  She leaves a legacy of trained researchers and a revolution in forest management. I highly recommend reading her inspirational book, Finding The Mother Tree. 

Below is a fascinating video Mother Trees and the Social Forest, in which the author describes her work and the application of research findings that provide hope for the restoration of our forests.  

-Sister Pat McKeon, CSJ

The Beginning of the End of Lent -- and Perhaps of Violence

As we enter into the final two weeks of Lent, I reflect on how different this penitential season has been for me this year. Our world has experienced climate disasters, two years of the pandemic, the turbulence of war in Ukraine, and insurrections elsewhere. We are tired. We are aware of our inability to control the natural or human forces which cause immense suffering. We seek answers, relief, and reasons for hope. Lent is a time in which we reflect on Jesus’ life, his teachings, how people either followed or sought to destroy him, his ignominious crucifixion, and victory over death. Lent for me this year has been a time for pondering how my beliefs and values are expressed in the choices I make each day. 

The scriptural readings for this fifth Sunday of Lent are a source of wisdom as we confront fears about malignant powers beyond our control and choose the values that govern our actions. The Prophet Isaiah uses extravagant images to describe the powerful actions of God “who makes a path through mighty waters and quenches an army like a wick”. God bids us forget former things; He is about to do a new thing – create rivers in the desert “to give drink to my chosen people”. (Isaiah 43. 16-21). The psalmist reminds us that “When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy”. With confidence, the psalmist prays: “Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the watercourses in the desert of the Negev”(Psalm 126).  Paul, the former persecutor of Christians, tells us that for the surpassing value of knowing Jesus he has suffered the loss of all things and considers them rubbish. He proclaims: “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. . . . forgetting what lies behind.  and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus”.

““I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. . . . forgetting what lies behind.  and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus”.”

image: unsplash/Prateek Gautam

We have no simple solution to the problems in our troubled world or a clever way to overcome the powers of malevolent dictators. Nor will a mere human explanation satisfy our human desire to know why such evils exist. Like Job, we are to live in the confident knowledge that there is an answer but it is beyond our human comprehension. The scriptural readings on this fifth Sunday of Lent do not teach us how to fix the ills of this time. Rather we must learn that indeed much in our lives is beyond our control.   Jesus’ confrontation with the Pharisees who demand that he judge a woman caught in adultery (John 8.1-11) evoked an unexpected response.  The story uncovers treachery and exposes the devious motives underlying “pious” actions. Each of us is capable of blindly behaving like the hypocritical Pharisees.  When confronted with truth, the Pharisees walked away in silence. Sitting contemplatively with this story and applying it to ourselves will bring light to the truth underlying our actions; we have a choice to accept or evade this truth. The story reveals the compassion, forgiveness, and love of Jesus for each of us, and teaches us how we are to live in our relationships with each other.

The invasion of Ukraine and violent actions of governments or partisan factions are not remedied by more of the same. It is time to listen to unwelcome truths within ourselves and to search for wisdom in the teachings of Christianity and other great religions.

Sister Pat McKeon, csj