Downtown Edmonton park covered in trash several hours after Canada Day celebrations

Your rowdy neighbours weren't the only ones getting trashed on Canada Day.

One of Edmonton's downtown parks was covered in garbage Monday, several hours after the holiday celebrations concluded.

• O Canada! Edmonton celebrates Canada Day 2018

The trash cans in Constable Ezio Faraone Park near the High Level Bridge were overflowing, while dozens of seagulls snacked on food left over by people who took in the fireworks Sunday night.

Heather Hirsch and her husband use the park stairs for exercise. When they climbed to the top on Monday, they were shocked by what they saw.

"I noticed there were a lot of birds circling overhead of the stairs and I was wondering what was going on, because that's unusual. And then when I got to the top of the stairs, I saw garbage everywhere," Hirsch said.

"I stood at the top for a few minutes, kind of in shock. And several people came up after me and we all felt the same way we just couldn't believe it. It's a beautiful city, there's lots of beautiful parks, and to be left like that, it's really a shame."

Hirsh said her husband thought the city should have placed additional waste receptacles in the area Sunday night.

"But honestly, I just thought we can do better as human beings," she said, noting that when trash cans are full, people should take their garbage home or find an empty bin.

The garbage likely hadn't been picked up because city employees had the day off, said Ward 6 city councillor Scott McKeen.

"I wonder if it's the fact that we had fireworks on a Sunday night and then a holiday Monday for civic workers, so that what normally might have been cleaned up in the course of a regular weekday has not been cleaned up yet," McKeen said, adding that city crews will likely deal with the litter on Tuesday morning.

You had too much garbage for the receptacles and then we don't have workers on today to clear it off.- Coun. Scott McKeen

McKeen said he hadn't heard of leftover garbage being a problem in the park before, but noted that trash cans sometimes overflow at events like Taste of Edmonton.

"That's probably what happened here, too, is that you had too much garbage for the receptacles and then we don't have workers on today to clear it off," he said."So it's unfortunate. It doesn't look good on us on a holiday to be able to go down and enjoy a park and have the mess around."

Meanwhile across the street, the Alberta legislature grounds were spotless. McKeen said he didn't knowwhy that area had been cleaned up so quickly.