A garage sale at the Tantramar Civic Centre raised money for two community groups while at the same time tackled the persistent problem of mounds of household goods being left on the curb as the university year ends.
The event, called Dump and Run was organized by EOS Eco-Energy and the Sackville Rotary Club. Mount Allison University Students were invited to drop their stuff off, or arrange for volunteers to picked it up.
Bill Evans, president of the Rotary Club, said sometimes graduating students have a hard time dealing with the things they’d amassed over their time in Sackville.
“Their household effects were too big to take or carry on the plane, they would often just dump it at the end of the driveway, and leave town,” said Evans.
Within the first five minutes of opening, more than 100 people showed up at the garage sale, according to Evans. Over $1800 was raised with EOS Eco-Energy and the Sackville Rotary splitting the profits.
The groups plan to hold another Dump and Run next year.
Meanwhile, at the Pickard Quarry nearly 30 people from the Tantramar Outdoor Club and Chignecto Naturalists Club hauled away about 15 bags of garbage plus four bags of recyclables on Saturday.
Kate Fraser was there picking up garbage with her two children and husband.
“We live in the neighbourhood and we found this little oasis, which was a really special place for us during COVID when we wanted to go on little adventures and walks with the kids,” said Fraser.
Richard Elliott, one of the clean-up organizers said that aside from the bagged garbage and recycling, the group also found a snow shovel Elliott said was left by a local residents who clears skating rinks on the Quarry’s ponds, two large road signs, an old bed frame and an easy chair.
But he added, that the most exciting find was a “meter-long wrought-iron bar with a looped handle on one end and a sharp hook on the other.”
Elliott is taking the mystery item to Paul Bogaard from the Tantramar Historical Trust because, “he is an expert on the tools used back in the days the quarry was active.”
Tantramar Council approved $40,000 from the 2024 capital budget to go towards turning the Pickard Quarry into a park. According to Director of Active Living & Culture, Matt Pryde, the municipality is looking for other grants to help grow that number. Pryde said a general update on the planned park will be given Monday at Tantramar council’s Committee of the Whole meeting. Plans are in place to start clearing trails soon.
