Dear Editor:
I am just writing to create more awareness of an issue that has been on my mind since I moved here to Burnaby in 2010.
I live very close to the Metrotown mall. I take my son to the park near my house on Silver Avenue, and it is like walking in a garbage dump. There is litter everywhere . plastic bags, dirty tissues, cigarette butts, even dirty baby diapers! There are children playing in that park every day, and they have to play in all that mess.
Last year, I went to the park with my son to see how much litter we could pick up in the space of an hour. It was shocking, to say the least.
My son goes to Maywood Community School, and it is horrifying to see the overflowing garbage bins and litter in the lanes there. I have also seen rats at the school. Surely these are all health hazards and people are just turning a blind eye.
Cleanliness is not only the responsibility of the city and parks maintenance staff, it is more a responsibility of the people. B.C. is such a beautiful province, but people have turned it into a dump.
Why can't city council take action? Start fining people who are caught littering and see what a difference it will make. I have seen "fine for littering" signage on highways; why is it not possible to have the same here? Why do people have to put up with living in filth, just because of others' irresponsible behaviour?
I hope someone will pay attention to this very disturbing issue and take action.
Shanti Chary, Burnaby
