A Saint-Jérôme man was tired of the mess in the Rivière du Nord and decided to do something about it.
Benoit Girouard and his team Gym X organized a community cleanup day to remove the many tires often seen in the water running through the city. Girouard was predicting he and his team of volunteers would find about 150 tires, but the final tally was much higher.
"329 tires," Girouard proclaimed while surrounded by the giant pile of round rubber. He returned the next day to find one more tire, bringing the the number to an even 330.
About 40 volunteers helped in the cleanup of just 400 meters of the river located behind the Léveillé Ford dealership on Lachapelle Blvd.. The dealership helped sponsor the cleanup and will transport the tires to Recyc-Québec where they will be recycled.
It's impossible to know where the tires came from. They may have come off vehicles in town while others may have been brought there by the current. Some looked brand new, others had clearly seen years of wear and tear.
Girouard had organized a river cleanup event last year and pulled 93 tires from the water. He plans to return with more volunteers next month and is encouraging others in the other municipalities along the river to take part.