Marine divers go under for TD Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup

       Shopping cart, bike, car parts, Big Wheel, roll of carpet, among
     items recovered from waterways in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and
                                   Halifax

    VANCOUVER and TORONTO, Sept. 1 /CNW/ - Marine life in Canada are sharing
their natural habitats with the likes of shopping carts, car parts, bikes,
pylons, a roll of carpet and other refuse pulled out of the water by naval and
police dive teams in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Halifax this morning in
support of the 16th annual TD Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup (TD GCSC),
happening September 19 to 27 at nearly 1,500 shorelines across Canada. Items
recovered by divers over the years include a hotel safe, a scooter, the hood
of a 1942 Mercury Truck, a hot dog cart and even a rickshaw.
    "While submerged car parts and shopping carts are impressive trophies,
the real victory will be to rid our shorelines of common litter like cigarette
butts and plastic bottles and bags that threaten marine ecosystems," said Mary
Desjardins, Executive Director, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation. "The
TD Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup unites passionate volunteers from
coast-to-coast-to-coast in a simple, fun and extraordinarily powerful
initiative."
    Marine dive team volunteers included The Naval Reserve units HCMS
DISCOVERY in Vancouver, HMCS TECUMSEH in Calgary, and HMCS SCOTIAN in Halifax,
as well as the Toronto Police Marine Unit and Fire Services.

    It's not too late! Site Coordinator registration for the TD GCSC ends
    September 4!

    Canadians can still volunteer as a site coordinator and register their
own cleanup team, or join an existing cleanup online at www.tdgcsc.ca. By
registering online in advance, volunteers will receive support such as free
cleanup supplies as well as important tips, information and online resources.
    "The TD Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup continues to be one of the
largest environmental cleanups in the world," said Jill Dwyer, Program
Manager, TD Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup. "We're on pace for another
record turnout this year, signalling that the health of the world's largest
fresh water supply is of serious concern to Canadians."
    Those already participating can keep up-to-date by following TD GCSC on
Twitter @TDcleanshores, or join the Facebook 'TD Great Canadian Shoreline
Cleanup' fan page and show their support for shorelines in their community.

    Public Cleanup Kick-Off Events, September 19 and 20

    Canadians are also invited to attend one of five TD GCSC kick-off cleanup
events to be held in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal and Halifax on
September 19th and 20th, 2009. These free public cleanup events will feature
live entertainment - including hit Canadian band Crash Parallel in Toronto and
Montreal - refreshments, great prizes, TD Friends of the Environment
Foundation (TD FEF) Kids Monster Mural, and more!

    September 19, 2009:
        -  Vancouver, British Columbia
           Kitsilano Beach Park: 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. PST
        -  Calgary, Alberta
           Bowness Park: 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. MST
        -  Toronto, Ontario
           Woodbine Beach Park: 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m EST
        -  Halifax, Nova Scotia
           Point Pleasant Park (Black Rock Beach): 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m AST

    September 20, 2009:
        -  Montreal, Quebec
           St. Lawrence River/LaSalle Riverfront: 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m EST

    About the TD Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup (TD GCSC)

    TD Bank Financial Group has been a proud sponsor of the TD Great Canadian
Shoreline Cleanup, a Vancouver Aquarium conservation program, through its TD
Friends of the Environment Foundation for more than 13 years. The TD GCSC
began in 1994 as a small beach cleanup with a handful of employees from the
Vancouver Aquarium who wanted to participate in the Ocean Conservancy's
International Coastal Cleanup. In 2008, a record-breaking 63,491 Canadians
registered for 1,531 sites across the country and removed 135,467 kilograms of
garbage from a collective distance of 2,152 kilometres. Now in its 16th year,
this year's TD Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup takes place from September
19-27, 2009. For more information or to register please visit www.tdgcsc.ca.

    /NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: A photo accompanying this release is available at
    http://photos.newswire.ca. Images are free to accredited members of the
    media/

For further information: Aurora Bonin, TD Friends of the Environment
Foundation, (604) 654-8832, aurora.bonin@td.com; Matthew Cram, TD Bank
Financial Group, (416) 983-1514, matthew.cram@td.com; Jean Fong, Vancouver
Aquarium, 1-800-375-8776, shorelinemedia@vanaqua.org