Divers pull pile of garbage from Louise Basin

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Though hampered by murky waters, some 30 scuba divers pulled 768 pounds of junk and garbage from Louise Basin in the Old Port in the space of about two hours on Aug. 15.

A bicycle frame and a plastic chair encrusted with barnacles, a pile of cigarette butts and dozens of plastic and glass bottles were among the items fished from the artificial bay at the mouth of the Saint-Charles River that houses a marina, several tourist sites and an urban swimming area called L’Oasis.

The mission was part of an awareness campaign called the Éxpédition Saint-Laurent, an initiative of Stratégies Saint- Laurent and the international Mission 1000 Tonnes environ- mental organization. Divers from the Quebec Aquarium participated in the clean-up.

Éxpedition Saint-Laurent is a two-week campaign whose mission, according to the group’s website, is to engage “ecological restorers, scien- tists, artists, divers and young people to protect, restore and enhance the St. Lawrence River.”

Prior to the Quebec City event, the team had conducted similar operations in Montreal, Matane, Cacouna, Montmagny, Rimouski and Sorel-Tracy. Following the Quebec City stop, the team moved on to Les Escoumins, Baie-Comeau, Sept- Îles and Havre Saint-Pierre on the North Shore.

The harvest of debris from Louise Basin would likely have been more abundant were it not for the heavy rains in the previous days. Lead diver Manuel Ado told Radio-Canada, “We were really unlucky. All the water from the rivers flows into the [Saint-Charles] river and brings a lot of particles. Instead of being able to see several feet away, we had trouble seeing our hands.”

More information on the clean-up program is available on the Éxpédition Saint- Laurent website.