Litter Beware!

While out for lunch and a couple pints with some friends over the weekend, we noticed Mark "The Litter guy" passing by outside repeatedly getting Queen Street sparkling for the nice weather to come. We invited him to come have a beer with us and he gladly obliged. Mark didn't have much time to kill but in a pints lifespan, the stories of the disrespect and harassment he endures were unbelievable. Consider this a friendly reminder that he is a more than valuable citizen who goes the the extra mile in a way most wouldn't dare. Next time you see "The litter guy" on his never ending crusade against Toronto's polluted streets, show him some respect, and help him any way you can!

Stuntman Steve

While on the way home from celebrating a friend's birthday, myself and a couple others crossed paths with one hell of a character who immediately said hello and introduced himself as Steve or his Chinese name "Sai Chi".




Without any hesitation he excitedly says "I've got something for you guys!" followed by a moment of suspense. "Grey Goose!" he exclaimed as he withdrew a bottle of vodka from his coat and offered it to us. Although we declined that didn't spoil his good time in the very least. Well dressed and spoken, Steve at 48 years old was simply out looking for the next party.




The conversation somehow progressed into his love for electronic music and his career in party promoting at various clubs around the city. Having been equipped with my skateboard sparked yet another phase of conversation with Steve or should I say "Stuntman Steve"? He continued to tell us of his adventures as a stuntman at the age of 19 in his native city of Hong Kong. Saddly his family was less than approving of his lifestyle and disowned him after a bad accident as well as the end of his stunt career. In Steve's words "the marry go round was cut short" and It was then that he migrated to Canada.



Not only is Steve a party dude but underneath all that he's a Salvation Army volunteer which we were lucky enough to witness first hand. When a homeless man stopped to ask our party for help, Steve excused himself for a minute to give not only a generous donation but also some kind support and directions to the shelter at which he volunteers. By this time it's safe to say it was long past everyone's bed time so we parted ways. Goes to show it's never too late or early for another "Local Hero" encounter.

"The Duke"

As I pondered potential updates I realized this shiny penny was right under my nose all along. Here I am with my friend Kyle at Roy Thompson Hall last summer unexpectedly accompanied by this man who referred to him only as (drum roll) "The Duke"! He appeared to be under the influence of various substances to say to say the least most likely after a long day at the office so decided to hangout and do some friendly heckling/coaching. In most cases I wouldn't think twice to tell someone like this to take a hike but this guy was too genuine and entertaining to dismiss. As soon as our work there was done, we exchanged handshakes and he was gone in a flash yet to be seen again to this day. I'm just going to let the video do the rest of the talking so let's just say I couldn't have done it without "The Duke"!