Portage la Prairie's parks and green spaces will look much cleaner in the coming weeks. Parks Manager Dave Green notes their seasonal staff have returned for the summer this week, and have already started on their long-list of work to do, to help bring the city back to it's summer beauty.

"We're starting off by going around and doing a good blitz on the garbage and litter left around for the first couple of days. After that, we'll be starting on the Saskatchewan Avenue meridian clean up, that's all the centres on the avenue and the sides. That will take a couple of days, then after that we'll be starting in Island Park with the major clean up there, and then working around to the other community parks after that."

While picking up the litter after months of snow cover can be a challenge, Green says they may see a bit of an additional challenge this year given the weather we've had through the winter and early spring.

"Especially with the high winds we've had this winter and spring, a lot of garbage has blown a lot further than it normally does. We'll work away at it, and quite often there are community groups in the spring to come out and help us do different areas. If we all work together at it, we can get it cleaned up."

Green notes the entire process can take between four and six weeks. However, he says it won't take that long to really start to notice a difference around the city.

"Probably in a week or so. Once we get the avenue done and start on Island Park, by then we should be getting some heat so the grass should be getting a bit greener. As we work along, I think people will notice an improvement."