May 19, 1915, Winnipeg Free Press
It's community clean-up time in many parts of the city.
Back in May 1915 the city hosted a city-wide community cleanup, much as they do today. Various city departments and the Industrial Bureau urged community groups, businessmen, home owners and those with vacant lots to do their part to remove the winter's dirt, grime and litter.
At the time, the spring clean-up was considered more than just beautification, it was a public health issue. Reducing garbage meant a reduction of rodent and fly infestations and the diseases that they carried. This was also an era when it was believed that some communicable diseases could be spread through dust and bad odours.
To help out with the cause, the Free Press published the lyrics to the "Song of Spring Cleanup" next to an article about the cleanup. No indication of what the tune was or if it was one of the agencies involved in the cleanup that provided them, or the Free Press itself.
So, if you're taking part in a community clean-up this spring, be sure to take the lyrics along for a little sing-song while you work !
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