The Town of Petrolia and its Volunteer Business Group are hoping to make a clean sweep after a long tough winter.

Laurissa Ellsworth, director of marketing for the town, says the town and the business group have launched Operation Clean Sweep. They’re asking people to help clean up the public areas of the downtown on May 10.

“The conversation started because of the harsh winter and all the debris that was left behind,” says Ellsworth. “Some of the debris in the snowplow is pretty gross.”

There has been an annual clean up downtown for sometime, she adds. “Last year the volunteer business group handed out brooms to the merchants, seemed to go over fairly well. They also gave them a hand if it was needed.

“Community service committee has been doing the park for a number of years in a quiet way.”

This time they town and business group is inviting residents to help out. “We thought why not make it a really big project. Let’s get as many people involved as possible and clean up as much as we can after the harsh winter…there will be picking up trash and some light raking…we just want to get rid of all that salty residue after the winter.”

Ellsworth hopes a couple of dozen people will come to the Farmers’ Market at 8am May 10 with their work gloves and a broom or rake if possible for deployment.

Anyone who wants to help should send Ellsworth at the town by May 7.