River Reciprocity: Humber River Pals

This is a guest blog written by the Humber River Pals, whose mission is to organise regular ravine cleanups to reduce the amount of litter in our ravine system while introducing the beauty and history of the Humber River to the high needs neighbourhood of Weston. 

A lot is happening on the banks of the humber! 

On a summery day in October, I crossed the bustling intersection of Church and Weston and made my way down three flights of stairs to where Cruickshank Park stretches out along the banks of the Humber River.

I was there to attend a river clean-up organized by Ikinori and the volunteers at Humber River Pals (HPR). This was one of many events the group has organized since 2021, where their first clean-up drew over 40 volunteers and as Ikinori explains, “spoke to the need and the interest of the community to get together to clean-up this beautiful Humber River Trail.â€

Along with others, I filled the reusable bags supplied by HRP with broken plastic bits, disposable water bottles, and pieces of styrofoam. I worked plastic lids and other debris out of bushes with one of the long, metal trash pickers. 

Leaning over the water near the rushing dam, trying to dislodge a piece of plastic from between pebbles, I teetered on a loose rock. 

Later, when I approached the volunteers waiting for Zalika Reid-Benta, the author of “River Mumma†to share her book with us, I found out that the lead character fell in, in that exact place!

For the last three years, HRP received climate action funding which Ikinori explained, has allowed them to pair the clean-ups with “climate education and awareness by bringing on facilitators.†For each clean-up they have a theme. Among other things, theyâ€ve run documentary nights, and addressed climate anxiety, offering yoga to build resiliency.

At Cruikshank Park, Zalika Reid-Benta read from her book which features River Mumma, a Jamaican water deity who is sometimes portrayed combing her hair with a golden comb and then leaving it on a rock to test the integrity of passersby. In this case, River Mumma shows up in the Humber River! She asks Alicia, the protagonist, to get her missing comb back for her. 

In answer to a question, Reid-Benta discussed the importance of reciprocity as a theme in River Mumma. 

The Humber gives so much to us. It is beautiful—with the sun catching on ripples, showing the rocks at the bottom of amber pools and glancing, silvery, off the surface. It is life-sustaining—even providing a place for salmon to spawn. 

Yet, the river faces many threats–litter, pollution, and now, Highway 413 that would cut through its headwaters, stealing from the river.

HPRâ€s clean-ups are a way to give something back, caring for the river along with other community members.

As Ikinori told me, “everyone who is interested and available on [an] event day is more than welcome to come, it’s free and open to all…literally just show up at the time and place.â€Â 

While registration or rsvp is not necessary, signing-in on arrival is recommended! HPR often has raffles or giveaways, like coupons for local shops. They also often provide refreshments.

On the banks of Cruickshank Park, volunteers enjoyed Three Sisters†soup, cedar and berry teas as they chatted with one another, asked thoughtful questions and listened to Reid-Bentaâ€s inspiring answers.

To join the next event, watch for announcements on HPRâ€s instagram account: @humberriverpals

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The Humber River Pals emerged as a response to the litter problem along the riverside. The founders of this collective did not want to ignore the issue and instead grouped together to host their first clean up on May 29, 2021. The community response was fantastic and since then, each event has had a turn out of upwards 46 volunteers per event. Together we are all taking care of the environment and strengthening community bonds.