It was a sunny, breezy day for the twenty-some volunteers of the Blue Water Day as they gathered at the gazebo of the John Peak Park. Ken Jackson, one of the caretakers of the grounds, distributed various trowels, clippers, and edgers to the crew and after a brief demonstration and group picture, were set to work. Everyone was in good spirits and willing to work and by the end of the day the park was pruned, weeded, and edged to perfection.
Blue Water Day is an annual event hosted by the Royal Bank of Canada in Chestermere where the RBC and volunteers from other branches participate in cleaning up the surrounding area near Chestermere Lake (John Peak Park).
‘The RBC Blue Water Project is a wide-ranging program dedicated to protecting the world’s most precious natural resource: fresh water. In 2013-2014, we will support initiatives that help protect water in our growing towns and cities.
We also promote responsible water use with our employees and clients, are committed to reducing the intensity of our own water footprint and encourage the growth of water businesses.
The centerpiece of the RBC Blue Water Project is a $50 million charitable commitment to support organizations that are working to protect water in our growing towns and cities. We provide grants in regions where we have a business footprint.’
Technically pruning, weeding, and edging aren’t the same as dredging through the lake for weeds, but taking care of the areas surrounding the lake is just as important because it builds community pride. And, any litter along the edge of the lake could easily be blown into the water, so it is up to us, as citizens of this beautiful, growing town, to do our part as the volunteers of the RBC have done, to keep our lake clean.
