Giving back by picking up

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/08/2021 (1415 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

If you drive down Highway 12 or turn onto any Steinbach street, you might pass a gentleman riding a scooter picking up trash with a long pole.

That man is Eric Waldon Toews.

The retired road-building professional and fourth-generation dairy farmer and is now a resident of Bridgepark Manor, and he isn’t letting his age or the summer heat stop him from keeping Steinbach sparkling.

“I was around 80 years old when I started this run,” said Toews, 84. “I felt that I could still be useful to the community in my state of health.”

Eight years ago, Toews sold his dairy farm to his son Gregory Toews and moved into Bridgepark, though he spends most of his time on his scooter adventuring around town.

“I like to meet people. I work to meet people and I have no fear whatsoever to talk to a total stranger.”

Toews said he met many people whom he now knows well while patrolling the streets over the past five years, looking for any trash not in the garbage.

“There are some younger guys I got to know years ago, and I challenged them to do it too.”

By and large, Toews said it’s his own idea to take a few hours out of his day to keep street cleanliness to a high standard.

When Toews worked on roads for 15 years, he was a quality inspector tasked with completing the final touches and signing off on complete jobs.

Those years working to ensure high-quality roads paved the way for Toews to have an appreciation of clear and clean roads.

“To me, it is one of the greatest passions I could think of,” he said.

The passion continues as Toews spends a few hours every day driving around picking up five to eight gallons of garbage a day.

“I tire a lot easier than I did twenty years ago,” he said. “I’m in pretty good shape, but my legs are a bit weak now.”

Even when it’s 30 C outside, Toews said he doesn’t mind the heat, as he is basically an outside person.

Since his great-great-grandparents moved to Canada from Europe in 1874, and helped build up Steinbach, Toews has had an unwavering appreciation for the community.

“If you want to become a success with yourself and the community, you will have to practice honesty,” said Toews.

“This town was basically built on honesty and if you’re honest and care about the community, you will do stuff for the community. This town has done very well that way.”

This story was first published in the Aug. 5, 2021 edition of The Carillon. Become a subscriber today.