Earth Day 2024: Montrealers doing their part
Posted April 22, 2024 3:08 pm.
Last Updated April 23, 2024 2:43 pm.
On Saturday, two young Italian-Montrealers, Julia Scala and Alicia Costa Iannicelli, organized a cleanup event in Saint-Leonard.
“By sensitizing, by getting people outside being active in real life, we’re stepping away from technology, stepping away from our screens and bringing people to do some real human action, which I think I still think and value so dearly.” said Iannicelli.
She added that the goal is to sensitize as many citizens as they can, because small actions can make a difference in the future.
“They have to do this every day, cleaning the park, and what is the small part of the environment every day, because it has to have a healthier and cleaner environment,” explained Scala.
Several citizens joined the call to clean up Ferland Park, and Éco-quartier helped sensitize residents amid the waste collection.
“Well I’m cleaning up the park, all the plastic and everything you could try to find into the grass. A lot things you know, you don’t see them, but we have to look for it,” said one volunteer who was helping clean the park.
Another said, “I thought that it’s a great initiative to come clean up the park. I know the park is relatively clean, but if you look for it, you’ll find pieces of plastic on the floor and things to pick up. So, a great initiative by the ladies, and I’m happy to be here.”
Scala’s mother Sandra Siciliano said her daughter and Costa had the idea to clean the park to help the Earth for them and future generations.
Arij El Korbi, a councillor for Saint-Leonard with Ensemble Montréal, “This is a continuity of the Italian community in Saint-Leonard. I think when their grandparents came here this is what they were hoping that her grandchildren, their grandchildren, would still be participating to give back to Saint-Leonard.”
The girls also co-founded the podcast “Stemm Chat with Julia” in early 2024. It covers various subjects, including the environment.
“It’s a platform to share conversations with specialists and doctors, like science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine,” explained Costa.
