Published May 05, 2025 • Last updated 1 hour ago • 3 minute readColin MacLean is the the assistant managing editor of the Journal Pioneer and lives in Southwest Lot 16, P.E.I. Photo by File /Journal PioneerI was driving near Alberton the other day when I noticed a woman standing on the side of the road, holding a garbage bag. As I approached, a child popped out of the ditch beside her, followed by another. They were visible just long enough to dump small fists full of plastic trash into the bag and disappear again in search of more. Earlier in the day, I’d seen a man walking down the sidewalk in O’Leary doing the same on his own with a grabber tool. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentYou see that kind of thing a lot in P.E.I. each spring. Whether it’s the annual Women’s Institute Roadside Cleanup (coming up on May 10), an organized outing for a group like the Scouts and Guides or just individual initiative while folks are out for a stroll. Tidying up the uglier side of winter’s leavings is an annual tradition for many. Read More COLIN MACLEAN: Dreaming of a perfect spring day in P.E.I. COLIN MACLEAN: The toll of tolls Seeing those worthy Islanders doing their part for the rest of us reminded me of my own childhood expeditions to local ditches and time spent scouring them clean. Mind you, during my childhood in the ’90s, it was more about bottle hunting than it was about any altruistic motives. My parents were in it to clean up trash and get their video game-idled child outside for a bit of fresh air – but I was in it for those sweet, sweet bottle profits. Everyone knew spring was the best time to go gather them. I used to pester my folks about going out hunting and gathering. Article content“I can’t stand litterbugs. I have never, and will never, understand the impulse to toss trash out of a vehicle.”Since pop and beer cans were illicit substances here at the time and not made legal until 2008, an enterprising young person could quickly fill a trunk to burst with glass bottles – tossed out windows by those too cretinous to bother dealing with them in a better way. I can’t stand litterbugs. I have never, and will never, understand the impulse to toss trash out of a vehicle. Never on my worst day, no matter how lazy I’m feeling or how cluttered my car is, have I ever had that particular urge. I can’t ever imagine doing so. Even as a kid, I couldn’t stand the thought.But, hey, at least we got a fun afternoon out of someone else’s inconsiderateness.Returning the bottles for the deposits didn’t exactly rake in the cash, but when you combined those gleaned from ditches with what was hoarded by family and friends over the winter, you could get a decent haul of pocket money for the old piggy bank. Those were the days, as they say. My bottle-hunting career is long behind me, and I doubt there are many left around who do it these days. I’m more into the bottle-emptying business than I am into hunting for them these days. But I recycle mine like a normal person. Article contentStill, I hope those who partake in this annual P.E.I. cleanup ritual know how much it is appreciated by the rest of us. I could not tell you how many times I’ve had a visitor to the Island marvel to me at how clean our province is compared to many places. Having seen a few small corners of this world myself – I can certainly attest to that. Islanders care about appearances. Most of us take pride in our properties, the state of our wider communities and our environment at large. If for no other reason than we don’t want to give the neighbours something else to gossip and chirp about. Colin MacLean is the assistant managing editor at the Journal Pioneer in Summerside. He can be reached at cmaclean@postmedia.com and followed on X @JournalPMacLean.Article content
COLIN MACLEAN: Bottle season in P.E.I.
