Among all the spring clean-up activities going on is one this Saturday in downtown Timmins… with two main focusses: trash and discarded hypodermic needles.
Anyone is invited to take part in the community clean-up day, led by the Porcupine Health Unit.
Harm reduction outreach worker Christianne Blain says registration begins at 8:00am at First Baptist Church on Second Avenue, with cleaning starting at 9:00am.
“We’ll have supplies,” Blain states. “We’ll have vests and grabbers and garbage containers and any of the sort of supplies that people will require. We do encourage people to bring their own gloves, but we will have some gardening gloves as well.”
Across Ontario, the incidence discarded hypodermic needles is increasing. Blain says the fight against it is entirely local.
“All communities are working on properly training agencies, individuals and communities on needle safety,” she notes. “It’s a common practice within health and safety members of the community and people can be properly trained to safely dispose of sharps throughout our community.
Health unit offices always offer free needle pick-up kits.