Our History

The Vancouver Aquarium has coordinated cleanups in Canada since 1994, when a small team of volunteers conducted a local shoreline cleanup in Vancouver’s Stanley Park. In 2002, the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup became a national program, providing all Canadians the opportunity to make a difference in local communities, while taking part in a nationwide event.

Participants removed litter from 2,457 km of shoreline in 2009, and the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup has become Canada’s largest contributor to the International Coastal Cleanup, a global effort to remove harmful litter and aquatic debris from shorelines. With the assistance of sponsors, partners, and donors, the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup has been able to expand and grow, enabling greater awareness of the negative effects of shoreline litter.

Each year, the public support and general awareness of the program has increased, inspiring more Canadians to join in to make a difference. In 2009, the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup celebrated its 16^th anniversary with 56,916 registrants nationwide.