The garbage is piling up and the strike continues so three Queen West BIAs have pooled their resources to keep Queen Street from University to Roncesvalles free and clear of litter. According to today's press release Mark the Litter Guy will be leading the effort, organizing a team of volunteers to do a sweep of one of Toronto's marquee streets. In exchange, Mark will receive at least 3 days pay each week and the thanks of a grateful community.

Two years ago in the wake of city cutbacks to the sanitation force Mark was collecting an average of 80 bags of trash daily. I can only imagine the quantity of bags Mark and his team will collect in the wake of a strike.

With the bags to be stored by the West Queen West BIA - potentially at Woolfitt's Art Supply (either that or Woolfitt's is simply paying for wherever it will be stored, the release isn't clear) - I'm only left wondering how big a turn off (aka smell, rats, bugs) one big pile will be, or if it will get hauled to a dump often enough to prevent those concerns.

In any case, the Queen West, West Queen West and Parkdale BIAs are on to something and I suspect that Mark and his team will make the street even cleaner than it is during non-strike times.

Now if only the BIAs could afford Mark beyond the month-long commitment. Maybe then he wouldn't depend on as many donations and would have time to update his blog a bit more often.

Photo "garbage strike" by wvs, member of the blogTO flickr pool.