A solar-powered beach-cleaning robot has been combing the sand at Port Burwell Provincial Park.
Pollution Probe’s BeBot has been at Port Burwell for several weeks, generally cleaning the beach on Fridays.
Bennet Toman, Pollution Probe’s community engagement coordinator for the London-St. Thomas area, has been controlling the BeBot in Port Burwell since July 24. As of Friday, Aug. 14, he estimated the team had collected more than 500 pieces of debris. The cleaning crew was back on the beach Monday, Aug. 17, and is scheduled to return Aug. 28.
The BeBot has been deployed in Canada before, including at Long Point in July of last year. At the start of the summer season, Pollution Probe and Ontario Parks discuss potential locations for research, cleaning and other missions the Pollution Probe team can tackle.
The remote-controlled BeBot is powered by solar panels and batteries, which give it an eight-hour battery life. Mr. Toman turns the cleaning robot off when it is not in use to help conserve battery life. The robot sifts through the sand just below the surface, shaking larger pieces of debris into its collection bin. Once the BeBot’s bin is full, Mr. Toman dumps its contents onto a tarp for volunteers to sort and separate from the sand.
The BeBot moves slowly through the sand, but Mr. Toman said that was ideal. If the robot moves too fast, it could miss debris or even shoot it out the back.
As a safety feature, the BeBot has a temperature sensor that monitors its battery. If the battery becomes too hot, the machine shuts off for 40 minutes while it cools. It also has an emergency stop button and optional warning light and alarm.
Many beachgoers showed interest in the BeBot, asking questions and watching it clean. Melissa De Young, chief executive officer of Pollution Probe, said community engagement, innovation and data collection were key parts of the organization’s work.
Ms. De Young lives in Toronto, and the visit marked her first time at Port Burwell’s beach. She described it as a “big, beautiful beach,” adding that experiencing new places was one of her favourite parts of the job.
The BeBot has been deployed on both Canadian and American beaches. It first arrived on American beaches in 2020, with about six now operating in the United States.
Ms. De Young and Pollution Probe have worked with The Searial Cleaners, the creator of the BeBot, for years. The Searial Cleaners focuses on removing pollution from the marine environment. The group was created by Poralu Marine in 2021.
Pollution Probe is a national not-for-profit, charitable environmental organization working to support clean air, clean water and a clean environment for all Canadians. It collaborates with many organizations, including Poralu Marine, Ontario Parks and the Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup, all of which helped bring the BeBot to Port Burwell.
Founded in 1969 by University of Toronto students and professors, Pollution Probe has partnered with more than 30 organizations to help clean Canada.
By Jayden Davis, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Original Published on Aug 19, 2026 at 07:31
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