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
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
'I am angry': Alberta farmers will continue fight over world class motorsport resort
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.
Potentially toxic chemicals hide in our drinking water and countless household objects, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
'It was violent': Police tear down U of A pro-Palestinian encampment Saturday morning
Multiple people at the protest camp torn down at the University of Alberta campus Saturday say police's actions against protesters were "violent" and "disproportionate."
Election deniers: West Virginia voters must pick from GOP candidates who still dispute 2020 election
When West Virginia Republicans vote in Tuesday's primary, they will have a hard time finding a major candidate on the ballot in any statewide race who openly acknowledges that U.S. President Joe Biden won the 2020 election.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Man ticketed after allegedly trespassing again at Drake's Bridle Path mansion to get his bike
A man who tried to access Drake’s Bridle Path mansion earlier this week returned to the property Saturday and was apprehended again for allegedly trespassing, Toronto police say.
Adopted daughter in the Netherlands reunited with sister in Montreal and mother in Colombia, 40 years later
Two daughters and a mother were reunited online 40 years later thanks to a DNA kit and a Zoom connection despite living on three separate continents and speaking different languages.
Biden calls Trump 'unhinged,' says 'something snapped' in former president after he lost 2020 U.S. election
U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday called Donald Trump “clearly unhinged” and claimed that “something snapped” in the former president after he lost the 2020 election.