Street Cleaning Grant Program

Impact of the 2022 program

  • Micro-cleaning in an area covering 7 kilometres2 within 22 BIAs
  • Micro-cleaning of 25 permanent and pop-up plazas
  • 71,200 micro-cleaning work hours to individuals with barriers to traditional employment 
  • 34,000 bags of litter collected
  • 109,900 needles collected from streets and lanes
  • 20,800 cumulative feces removals in the downtown area

City Council has approved annual street cleaning grants since 1999 to non-profit agencies that have the capacity to:

  • Provide micro-cleaning services
  • Supplement our street cleaning services

Micro-cleaning involves daily collection of litter on foot using brooms, shovels, and wheeled garbage carts – work that's outside the scope of City services. Micro-cleaning grants complement other street cleaning services, such as programs coordinated by business improvement associations.

How the program connects with Council priorities and our strategies

  • Low threshold employment supports an inclusive city and helps marginalized individuals to become more self-reliant, contributing to the goal of ending homelessness.
  • Cleaner streets promote a safe and welcoming public realm, show a commitment to protecting the environment, and help to convey "greenest city".