Ted McIntosh, 71, bends down to pick up some garbage lying at the curb. It's his daily routine - collecting garbage to keep the city clean and tidy - as he takes a walk for physical exercise. --NEWS PHOTO GILLIAN SLADE
gslade@medicinehatnews.com@MHNGillianSlade
A local senior’s daily walk includes picking up garbage to help make the community a better place to live.
Ted McIntosh, 71, sets out for a walk every morning with a collection of garbage bags in his pocket. He dons gloves and hat, and scrutinizes the area as he walks along 13th Avenue SE toward Trans-Canada Way.
“It’s my exercise. I used to walk laps in the mall. I even grab weeds – they’re unsightly,” said McIntosh.
There is no stick with a spike on the end to make life easier. McIntosh says he decided that bending to pick something up is simply good exercise.
How much garbage he finds depends on the wind and whether there is a fence or nook where it can gather.
When he first started doing this three years ago he had to carry a large green garbage bag every day because there was so much to pick up. Now most days a used grocery bag is large enough unless he’s returning from a vacation.
When his usual route appears to be almost garbage free, he walks further to find more.
His daily diligence has not gone unnoticed, as a resident of Saskatchewan notified the News of his daily routine.
McIntosh says some business owners have actually offered him employment to pick up the garbage on their property and sweep up all the cigarettes butts. He prefers to continue his own routine, doing it all simply because he feels its importance.
“People take more pride in the property when they see no garbage,” said McIntosh, who lives at Fairway Village near 13th Avenue and Southview Drive.
He participated in, and still does, the Knights of Columbus annual spring garbage pickup along the highway. He realized how much there was and the importance of clearing it.
At Trans-Canada Way he turns right and says sometimes people ask if he is being paid to pick up garbage. He remembers one woman telling him she was going to follow his example.
He enters the grounds of Southland KIA Motors where they have been so appreciative of his work they offered him a free oil change for his vehicle.
“It’s great dedication for our community,” said Kent Jackson, fixed operations manager. “It’s wonderful.”
During the COVID lockdown McIntosh has noticed different areas where garbage is accumulating. People gather outside with their own chairs. Sometimes paper cups and other garbage is left behind.
McIntosh was manager for a large company for 37 years and says he understands the importance of keeping the environment clean and tidy.
His walk routinely extends all the way along Trans-Canada Way, behind Connaught Golf Course, to College Avenue. He remembers one spring filling six large garbage bags there in two days.
When he’s done for the day he’s reflective and wonders why people are just dropping garbage in the first place.
