Minister’s secret identity revealed

Parent dons cape, battles Bigfoot for littering skit at Shannon?Park

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s… the Environment Minister? Mark Parent did his best superhero impersonation as Captain Litterless and battled garbage at Shannon Park Elementary yesterday.

Published: October 22, 2008 12:17 a.m.

Last modified: October 22, 2008 12:21 a.m.

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A lumbering, littering Bigfoot and a cape-clad cabinet minister helped get Waster Reduction Week started at Shannon Park Elementary yesterday.

“It’s an awful lot of fun,” said Environment Minister Mark Parent, who moments earlier donned a cape and jester’s hat to take on the identity of Captain Litterless.
“The kids are actually telling the parents when they waste and throw stuff out, ‘No, don’t do that.’ If you can get to the kids, you can get to the parents.”

During the assembly a loud, hairy, Bigfoot — principal Jim King — covered the floor with wrappers, plastic bags and popcorn and talked about the joys of wasting. That’s when Parent came to the rescue, urging the students to care for the environment.

Bridget Keenan, 6, and Emily Hebb, 7, said they knew it was their principal in the Bigfoot costume. Emily said she learned littering and wasting water can harm animals and people.

“I learned that you shouldn’t litter, no matter where you are or where you live,” added Bridget.

Parent told the students he wants Nova Scotia to be the greenest province by 2020. He admitted it’ll be tough because the province uses so much coal to produce electricity, but added that in terms of waste reduction and recycling, “We’re way ahead of some areas.”