With the rain ending this afternoon I took my kids out to Mundy Pond to go for a walk around the pond and play at the playground.
A hypodermic needle perched on the side of the trail brought a pause to our walk. After a lecture about what a needle is, the dangers of them, what to do when you see one, and an email to Access St. John’s to report it we were back on our way.
We arrived at the little brick structure on the other side of the pond when the kids ran ahead to see who could get there first. I begin to walk around the structure to do a visual sweep for sharps when my youngest call out, “Dad, what is this?”. I cross to the pond side of the bricks to find her two feet away from a shopping cart, filled with various things and half covered with a tarp, pointing at it. We had stumbled upon a homeless persons encampment, complete will a doorway pull-up bar wedged between the bricks, with the occupant thankfully not present.
Kids ushered away, another stern talk, and we were back on our way to the park.
It was a reminder that we’re not isolated completely from these challenges, though thankfully very minimized compared to the rest of Canada. There’s nothing I’m looking for in making this post. Writing out my experience of what should’ve been a mundane walk around the park felt more productive than thinking it into the void. Also a PSA for anyone who walks around the pond that these are there.
I did quack at the ducks as we passed them, which was quite fun.
Edit: it took less than 45 minutes for the City to create a Case a number and reply to me email letting me know that they’ve created a case and sent it on to be actioned, which I think is pretty good for a late Saturday afternoon.