William Crooks
Antoine S. Petit, head of Sherbrooke’s public works and construction division, stands in front of a municipal work truck at the city garage following a press conference outlining plans for the 2025 spring cleanup

Spring cleanup kicks off April 22 in Sherbrooke

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

The City of Sherbrooke’s annual spring cleanup operation will begin on Tuesday, April 22, with mechanical sweepers covering streets, sidewalks and bike paths across the city. Residents are asked to rake their lawns and clear debris from the street edge over the weekend to help ensure smooth progress when municipal crews arrive.

“This is a major operation that takes several weeks,” said Antoine S. Petit, head of the City’s public works and construction division, during a press conference held Monday at the municipal garage. “We really need residents to collaborate—especially by removing their cars and bins on their designated cleaning day”.

This year’s campaign, which costs roughly $2 million, will start in the Fleurimont borough and unfold in three phases: preparatory work (already underway), sweeping of streets and sidewalks, and finally, cleaning of municipal parking lots. The entire process is expected to last about six weeks, with street cleaning alone taking around four weeks to complete.

“We alternate the starting location each year,” explained Petit. “This time we’re beginning in Fleurimont, but the schedule is built to minimize disruption. Arterial roads are usually cleaned at night to reduce noise, while local streets are done during the day”.

The City will use both municipal employees and contractors for the work. A fleet of sweepers has already been deployed downtown and on bike paths as part of the preparatory phase. Petit noted that this early work also allows the City to test equipment and train personnel before moving into full operations.

One important date to note: Parc Jacques-Cartier will be closed for 24 hours on Wednesday, April 23 to allow for thorough cleaning. A reminder will be sent to residents in advance, but that date may shift if weather conditions interfere.

Spring cleanup efforts were delayed slightly this year due to a harsher-than-usual winter. “We used more abrasives than normal,” Petit said. “There’s visibly more gravel and debris than last year. That’s why it’s especially important that residents rake their lawns and avoid pushing rocks into the street”.

Last year, around 3,000 sections had to be re-swept due to residents failing to move cars or bins, which slowed progress and increased costs. “These aren’t ‘bad behaviours’—just a lack of awareness. But every time we need to redo a street, it delays the whole operation and frustrates everyone involved,” Petit said.

To help prevent such setbacks this year, Sherbrooke residents are encouraged to:

• Avoid blocking streets with vehicles or collection bins on cleaning days;
• Clear lawns of debris early;
• Avoid creating piles of rocks in the street or placing sand and gravel in waste bins.

Real-time updates will be available through the City’s interactive online map and by signing up for alerts through the “Mon Sherbrooke” portal. Residents can also register online for bulky waste pickup as part of a parallel service: sherbrooke.ca/nettoyage.

Collected grit will be tested for contamination and either recycled, treated, or disposed of depending on the results. “It becomes a residual material under environmental regulations,” Petit explained. “So, we treat it accordingly”.

The city expects the cleanup to wrap up around June 1, though that timeline depends heavily on weather. “Rain and freezing temperatures can definitely slow things down,” said Petit. “But if we all work together, we can make it smooth and efficient.”