Pilot project will see city picking up used needles in Timmins
Starting May 1, residents can call the City of Timmins if they want someone to collect used needles.
In a news release Thursday, the city said the goal is to simplify the process.
“Residents can call Service Timmins Monday to Friday during regular business hours, to have public works carry out collection,” the release said.
“Reports can also be made online through the Service Timmins customer portal.”
The service is part of a pilot project to address drug-related litter, after city council asked staff to explore if municipal collection was feasible.
“Discussions around safe needle pick-up started last July,” Meagan Baranyk, the city’s community programs manager, is quoted as saying in a news release.
“Collection was being completed by several local agencies, but without specific funding or direction, it was sometimes case-by-case, and resulted in some confusion around who to call. Our pilot project will test the capacity of public works to carry out collection on public property, with Service Timmins coordinating response.”
However, municipal staff don’t have the authority to enter private property for the purpose of collecting discarded needles or syringes.
“The service is available for public property only, such as municipal parks, trails, sidewalks, boulevards, and roadways,” the release said.
Collection is also limited to weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sharps reported over the weekend through the customer service portal will be addressed on the next available business day.
“Collaboration with local agencies and outreach will continue, to help address gaps in the collection schedule,” Baranyk added in the news release.
“This is a starting point. We will be collecting data around how many sharps are collected, from which areas, and how effective our response is. We are aware that the hours are limited; however, there is a commitment to monitoring and adjusting the hours as needed.”
Starting May 1, residents can request needle or syringe pick up by calling Service Timmins at 705-264-1331 or online under roads and sidewalks.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Evacuation order issued for some Fort McMurray neighbourhoods as wildfire nears
Four Fort McMurray neighbourhoods were ordered to evacuate on Tuesday as a wildfire gets closer to the city.
Maximum payout for LifeLabs class-action drops from $150 estimate to $7.86
Canadian LifeLabs customers who filed an application for a class-action settlement began receiving their payments this week, though at a much lower amount than initially expected.
Sask. police seize 1.5M pieces of evidence, lay 60 more charges in child exploitation case
Saskatchewan RCMP have revealed that a historic sexual assault investigation has led to the discovery of alleged crimes against children dating back to 2005.
About 1,000 wildfires confirmed so far this year: Here's a quick look at the situation in Canada
Nearly 1,000 wildfires have burned across Canada so far this year. Here's an overview of the situation in Canada.
'Inappropriate' behaviour shuts down Dublin to New York City portal
Less than a week after two public sculptures featuring a livestream between Dublin, Ireland, and New York City debuted, 'inappropriate behaviour' in real-time interactions between people in the two cities has prompted a temporary shutdown.
American sought after 'So I raped you' Facebook message detained in France on 2021 warrant
An American accused of sexually assaulting a Pennsylvania college student in 2013 and later sending her a Facebook message that said, 'So I raped you,' has been detained in France after a three-year search.
Full List Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Tavares scores in OT, rescues Canada from potential upset in 7-6 win over Austria
Captain John Tavares scored 15 seconds into overtime and saved his teammates some embarrassment as Canada held on for a 6-5 win over Austria on Tuesday at the world hockey championship.
BREAKING Dr. Eileen de Villa, who led Toronto through the COVID-19 pandemic, announces resignation
The doctor who led Toronto through the COVID-19 pandemic as the city’s top public health official is stepping down.