Litter pick-up

Litter pick-up update

by

This is just a quick post to note that the Category on this blog known as Butt Patrol is now Litter pick-up. The “butt” in Butt Patrol referred to cigarette butts and the category name amused me, however “Butt Patrol” always had the potential to lead to…awkward confusion, hence the name change.

And here’s a bucket of the stuff I picked up today. When I do a litter pick-up, this is what I usually cover (and did cover today):

  • The central courtyard and visitor parking lot
  • The sidewalks on the property
  • The sidewalks and grassy areas adjacent to the property on Allen Street and Sherbrooke Street
  • The hospital bike/pedestrian lane west of the property
  • The stairs leading down to Allen Street
  • The area in front of the 244 underground parking

I usually go out 2–3 times per week.

Here is what I got today:

Cigarette butts, scraps of paper and packaging are most of the litter.

Here’s the area I normally cover, shaded on a shot from Google Maps.

Green: Covered every time
Yellow: Covered less often

Less frequently, I will do the entire Heritage Courtyard and the lawn behind the 240 building and easement facing Brunette Avenue.

Brunette Avenue clean-up, Part 2

by

On June 12 I cleaned up along the fence on Brunette Avenue after the landscaping company cut down the wild grass growing there: The unexpectedly long cigarette butt patrol

Today, just over a month later, I returned and this time everything I picked up fit into a single bucket–definitely less, but still a fair bit of stuff. I hope by cleaning it up, it discourages at least some people from littering there.

I’ve highlighted the area I checked below. This is city property, but it sits right next to the Copperstone easement.

Click for larger image (screenshot from Microsoft Maps)

The haul this time:

Also in the bucket: Multiple cups from Tim’s, the preffered fast food of litterers, apparently.

Butt patrol, June 19, 2025 and a reminder: cigarettes can start fires!

by

Another butt patrol completed today. My dustbin went missing, so I used a bucket from under the kitchen sink, where most buckets naturally live.

Butts, bills, and other bits.

Remember, there is no smoking on Copperstone property. In theory, that means my butt patrol should always come up empty, but sadly that never happens.

It’s even more important now to not leave butts on the ground. We’re entering the dry season, and a cigarette butt tossed onto dry grass could smoulder and potentially start a fire. This can be unsightly at best and dangerous at worst.

My advice is to quit smoking. It’s hard, I know! But think of the benefits:

  • You’ll save a lot of money
  • You’ll be healthier, feel better and probably live longer
  • You’ll smell nicer

Also, butt-adjacent: Please don’t leave litter on the property. Take pride in your home and put litter in a trash receptacle.