'One at a time': St. Thomas man on mission to collect discarded needles
A St. Thomas man is being recognized for picking up thousands of discarded needles used to inject street drugs.
Ken Nash was recently honoured by St. Thomas Mayor Joe Preston.
Nash, a full-time reservist in the Canadian Army, began picking up needles and other drug paraphernalia in the summer of 2021.
The idea came to him after finding a needle while his children were playing in a St. Thomas park.
Since then, he and his supporters have used a bucket and tongs for collection.
“As long as we use the right equipment and make certain we are not touching it directly, it’s okay,” he said.
The City of St. Thomas posted recognition of Ken Nash’s efforts this week in December 2023. (Source: City of St. Thomas)
As CTV News witnessed Thursday, it did not take him long to find discarded needles at the site of a former encampment.
Nash said safe collection is part of his joint mission to keep St. Thomas clean and to assist overwhelmed civic resources.
So far, he’s collected and disposed of over 3,000 needles.
“500 to 550 finds each quarter. So, I’m looking at 3,200 to 3,300 needles that I’ve picked up. Obviously, the vast majority are unused. But, the amount that are out there is pretty staggering,” he reflected with concern.
A discarded needle sits amongst other items in the area of a former encampment in St. Thomas, seen on Dec. 21, 2023. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Not that simple': Trump drags Canadian river into California's water problems
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump promised "more water than you ever saw" to Californians, partly by tapping resources from a Canadian river.
GoFundMe cancels fundraiser for Ontario woman charged with spraying neighbour with a water gun
A Simcoe, Ont., woman charged with assault with a weapon after accidentally spraying her neighbour with a water gun says GoFundMe has now pulled the plug on her online fundraiser.
'Phantom finance minister': Freeland says she's 'not going anywhere' after Conservative critique
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland declared she is 'not going anywhere' when pushed by the Conservatives on Monday about her future as finance minister.
Body recovered from B.C. lake after unclothed man leads investigators to crash site
Mounties are investigating a fatal crash north of Whistler, B.C., after an unclothed man who was found along the side of the road led police to a pickup truck submerged in a lake with one occupant still inside.
'Never seen anything like this': Humpback whale catches unsuspecting seal off Vancouver Island
A Vancouver Island nature photographer says he has never seen anything like what his camera captured on a recent whale-watching excursion off Victoria.
Polls close for closely watched byelections in Montreal and Winnipeg
The NDP has a slight early lead in Winnipeg while remaining in a three-way race with the Liberals and the Bloc Québécois in Montreal as ballots continue to be counted in two crucial federal byelections.
Suspect in apparent assassination attempt on Trump was near golf course for 12 hours
The man suspected in an apparent assassination attempt targeting Donald Trump camped outside a golf course with food and a rifle for nearly 12 hours.
Mortgage loan rules are changing in Canada
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has announced changes to mortgage rules she says are aimed at helping more Canadians to purchase their first home.
First teen sentenced in Kenneth Lee case gets 15 months probation
The first teenager to be sentenced in the death of a Toronto homeless man will not face further time in custody, and instead participate in a community-based program.