'Treat it like you love it,' says Calgary woman tired of Harvie Passage trash

A Calgary woman is tired of all the garbage and she's pushing back.

Fiona McKenzie has lived in Inglewood for about a quarter of a century, but in recent years, as the popularity of Harvie Passage has skyrocketed, so has the sea of garbage left behind.

"From diapers to shoes, to wipes, cigarette butts, cups, plastic rings from beer cans," McKenzie lamented to the Calgary Eyeopener.

"This past Saturday, just walking along the bike path, I found a mini beer keg that someone just dumped there."

McKenzie says a perfect storm of factors have come together: too few garbage cans, not emptied often enough to keep up with demand, in an environment where more and more people come to play.

"A lot of us locals have been calling 311 asking for more, and they are not being emptied enough, especially on these hot summer days," she said.

The City of Calgary says it's aware of the challenges.

"Both [Calgary Police Service] and bylaw have attended the area to patrol, and it is on our radar to cover, especially on the weekends," a spokesperson told CBC News in an emailed statement.

One of the park's user groups, the Alberta Whitewater Association, says the space is beautiful and packed.

"Our members use it a lot from April 1 to October 31 but generally avoid the hottest days because it gets so busy," executive director Michael Holroyd told CBC News in an email.

He said the maintenance is usually pretty good.

"But with thousands of people at the facility every day, it is somewhat inevitable that they can't keep up. In the future, we hope to see Harvie Passage managed much more closely as a recreational facility. But it will take additional ongoing costs to do so."

Meanwhile, McKenzie said, the more the merrier but please be respectful.

"Honestly, it is such a beautiful area. Just walking along the bike path. I usually walk one or two times a day along the bike path," she said.

I just want people to love it as much as we do. Come there, enjoy the area, be along the river, cool off, but just pick up your stuff and pack it out. Treat it like you love it. It is such a beautiful space."