Barrie man makes trash disappear in local ravines, wetlands

Daniel O’Keefe is taking a cleaner Barrie in hand.

The 32-year-old city resident and his support worker Pentlop Millen are picking up trash of all types from ravine areas in four-hour stretches, three days a week.

“I think the Earth needs some pollution cleaning and I don’t like pollution,” said O’Keefe, taking a break from grabbing garbage with his thick work gloves and bagging it at a Yonge Street ravine.

“We’re trying to go to homeless spots or where there’s wetlands with large amounts of garbage, kind of just clean up as much as we can," he told BarrieToday. 

Millen says O’Keefe has autism, but is high-functioning. The physical exertion of climbing ravine banks to bag everything from plastic cups and plates to abandoned bicycles is good for him.

“When I met him, he was in crisis. This is what he wanted to do,” she said. “He said he wanted to clean up the water, clean up dirty places in the city. I know where there are lots of those places, and he loves it. We work together, we do it together.

“So we tackle the land, tackle the water,” Millen said. “It also teaches him living skills because he wants to live independently.”

“And we need clean water, everywhere,” said O’Keefe, who figures he’s been picking up trash since 2008, one way or another.

O’Keefe and Millen also have help once the trash has been bagged and piled.

They contact Coun. Natalie Harris, who arranges with city staff for a pick-up.

“We’ve had conversations about his passion to save the ocean and he has collected large piles of garbage in about five different areas around Barrie,” Harris said.

“He is very passionate about helping the community.”