TTC Hero

The acronym TTC not only stands for the obvious in this case but also for Toronto Trash Collection. That's is exactly what this Tunnel dwelling philanthropist is doing as he hustles and bustles from car to car on the subway cleaning up after those who apparently don't comprehend use of the TTC's newly designed garbage receptacles.



Pretty complicated, huh?

While taking the subway over the weekend I witness this lone ranger of litter hard at work despite the fact that it was around midnight on a Friday. He caught me by surprise when he sped past me on the train dragging behind him a large bag bursting at the seams with the garbage produced by Toronto's increasing population of careless slobs. The most baffling part of this story is that when passengers on the train including myself tried to offer him a dollar or two for his hard work, he declined yet expressed an overwhelmed level of thanks. The fact of the matter is, this is an outstanding act of going above and beyond keeping our city clean. Keep an eye out for this TTC hero!

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"!

Horse $#!t!

It's been a while since my last entry do to the winter's lack of outdoor hero activity. However while out for a walk on a recent afternoon I did witness something that really bothered me so I'll take this opportunity to do a little venting. Our friend Danny was going about his business, picking up some bits and pieces of garbage at the intersection of Queen and Bathurst and happened to be enjoying an afternoon beer which I'm well aware isn't exactly legal. For this reason I watched two police on horse back corner him against the wall of Pizza Pizza while across the street on the infamous front steps a dozen others drank, smoked questionable substances, and harassed passer by's as usual. After a couple minute of yelling at Danny from on top of their 7 foot tall poop machines they let him walk free and continued to trot south on Bathurst following close making sure to get a few last words in. How ironic that they were heading in the opposite direction of where the real problem is. Keep on doing what you're doing , Danny.

All Hail "The Litter Guy"

If you reside in or near Toronto's Queen West neighborhood, chances are you've crossed paths with Mark "The Litter Guy". 34 year old Mark Giesbrecht originally from Winnipeg has been cleaning the littered sidewalks of Toronto for over 3 years now. On his arrival to the city, Mark was stripped of a construction job opportunity due to not having proper work boots and so his environmental crusade began. Filling up to 80 bags of garbage a day, his survival depends on well deserved donations varying from food, to money, and of course garbage bags. I ran into Mark by Trinity Bellwood's park on Christmas eve and he took quick break from his never ending work to chat. He was excited to mention that a friend of his has been gradually working on a documentary about his everyday struggles and success. Here is a good example of what's to come.

http://www.thestar.com/videozone/639079

Mark was also very proud to tell me me about recently being nominated as a "Torontoist" hero of 2009 for which he had his very own illustrated portrait done. Unfortunately he didn't make it to the final round due to the technicality of his garbage bags clashing with everyone's favorite new plastic bag policy. Not a chance that slowed down "The Litter Guy" himself, as a "comic nerd" he was simply thrilled with the artistic portrayal of himself.



http://torontoist.com/2009/12/heroes_and_villains_2009_heroes.php?gallery0Pic=13#gallery

Before Mark got back to work I made quick mention of his blog that I came across I encouragingly joked about the lack of recent activity. "Life get's in the way sometimes" he replied with a chuckle. We exchanged Christmas wishes and went our separate ways. Take some time to read Marks blog and only then will you truly understand the variety of good, bad, and ugly he sees each day and lives to tell about it. Next time you see him hard at work cleaning your neighborhood, do the right thing and help him out anyway you can. In fact, the sign he wears on his back says it best. "Putting the shine on where we all live, work, and play. Donation$ let me keep Toronto clean. Thanx 4 support.". Enough said. You're the man, Mark!

The Workin' Man

Danny is a very unique and interesting member of the Queen and Bathurst community, one of my favorite to observe as he goes about his business. With his construction attire, tool belt, and if you get closer look his impaired right eye make him impossible to miss.



Although generally in a great mood he is known to occasionally have what appear to be Schizophrenic fits consisting of yelling at nothing in particular throwing things around. On a good day he's some sort of one man clean up crew, often carrying a rake and a garbage bin around until it's filled to the brim with various waste he's collected around the neighborhood.



Danny is notorious for offering various items he's found to lucky passerby's which reminds me of by far my best experience with him yet. One afternoon he approached a friend and I saying he'd found something we might like as he pulled a stack of trading cards form his pocket, each one with a different horse on it, including their names and a bio. After gladly accepting his gift we thanked him and we parted ways.



On another note I also recently enjoyed watching him jam out on a guitar hero video game remote guitar, completely in his own imaginary happy place, without a doubt playing a sold out ACC. He never asks anyone for anything, takes pride in keeping his neighborhood clean and adds some much appreciated entertainment into the mix. All I half left to say is go, Danny!