Why does a woman walk around a park in Toronto with a vacuum cleaner?
For six months now, Row Iliescu has been walking around the city park with a dog and a vacuum cleaner, for which locals have donated $400 CAD.
The woman had lived in the United States for 25 years, but returned to Canada to Ontario to look after her father. On another walk through Berczy Park, she was stunned by the number of cigarette butts on the lawns and near the benches. Row made the decision that she did not want to live among the trash. Since the summer of 2022, the woman has been walking around the park with a vacuum cleaner.
She set herself the task of "cleaning the green spaces and streets around St. Lawrence Market of thousands of discarded cigarette butts with a dog leash in one hand and a hand vacuum cleaner in the other."
Several times a week, a lady with a dog and a vacuum cleaner can be found in the park. The woman says that she manages to collect 300-400 cigarettes at one time. The vacuum cleaner runs on a battery. As long as it stays on, there's cleaning going on.
Local workers say they can't devote enough time to cleaning because they are busy with other work. That's why they are very grateful to Iliescu for his help.
Unfortunately, several vacuum cleaners malfunctioned during cleaning. Most likely, according to the woman, the motors burned out. One of the vacuum cleaners was stolen. But that didn't stop the woman. People donated $400 CAD to buy a Dyson vacuum cleaner.
Locals often call the vacuum cleaner a "black shark," and some perceive it as a weapon. Soon spring will come and the snow will melt, which means there will be a lot of work to clean up the butts.
In addition to cigarettes, the woman is not shy about picking up other trash. For example, if she sees a beer can or a plastic bag, she will pick it up and throw it away.
Those who first see a woman in a park in Toronto vacuuming the grass in the park are very surprised. It's a very interesting sight.
