Steve Garvie is often seen around Ward 3 in Barrie’s north end, getting around in his motorized scooter and picking up trash as part of his continual clean-up efforts.
And for the longest time, he was even using his own dime to pay for the garbage bags and tags, which has since been rectified.
Garvie was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis almost 20 years ago and, despite his challenges, has driven his scooter throughout the city, rain or shine, to keep the streets free of garbage, Mayor Jeff Lehman said.
“It’s people like you who give us great faith in humanity and, of course, great faith in this community,” Lehman said as he presented Garvie with a certificate for his ongoing beautification efforts.
Proudly wearing his Toronto Maple Leafs sweater with Auston Matthews’ name on the back, Garvie rose from his chair and promptly thanked Dr. Sandy McDonald, the vascular surgeon who performed the ground-breaking vein surgery on his neck more than a decade ago.
Garvie said he was only the second person in Canada to undergo the procedure.
“My thank-you back is what I can give and what I can give is some three to five hours a day picking up garbage and making the place look the way it should look in the first place,” he said. “I thank you very kindly.”
Coun. Doug Shipley said he has seen Garvie driving around Ward 3 numerous times.
“He’s very noticeable,” said Shipley, who also noted Garvie was recently struck by a vehicle, “through no fault of his own,” and suffered serious injuries. “He drives around on his scooter and usually has a Canadian flag flying on the back and he’s always picking up garbage.”
Shipley said he had also received calls from constituents about Garvie, so he stopped one day and introduced himself.
“We had a very nice chat,” Shipley said, adding he asked Garvie about his background. “He told me a little bit about himself and it was one of the nicest stories I’ve heard in years, if not ever.
“He told me about some of his health concerns and some of the issues he’s having, but he was always positive,” the councillor added. “There was no negativity in him whatsoever. He told me that he just wanted to give back and wanted something to do and that was to go around unselfishly and pick up garbage all over Ward 3.”
Shipley noted Garvie uses a reach stick to pick up pieces of trash and was, in the past, even using his own garbage bags and tags.
“We’ve since helped him out with that since I’ve met him,” Shipley said to a chorus of laughter. “I didn’t know! He was putting his own money into it. He keeps Ward 3 very tidy.
“You’re very well known in the ward, sir, and your efforts are appreciated,” Shipley added. “It’s such a pleasant change to hear such positive attitude from you all the time. You could be complaining, you could be negative, but it’s not in you.”
