Mom finds seven used needles in Vancouver elementary school garden

A Vancouver parent is sounding the alarm after finding seven used needles in the children'sgarden ofLord Roberts School Annex on Sunday.

"It`s disturbingand completely unnerving,"said Shiloh Sukkau, who videotapedthe needles outside the kindergarten-to-Grade-3school.

"Theweather is just starting to get nicer and the kids have just startedgoing out to use the garden."

Lord Roberts needles

8 years ago

Duration 0:38

A mom discovered seven used needles in the children's garden of Lord Roberts Annex School in Vancouver.

Sukkau saysshe found a single needle in the West Endgarden Saturdayand removed it. But Sunday morning, when her family returned to work in the garden, they found seven new ones scattered around the planters.

"It's definitely escalating," she said.

Needle found in fence

A few weeks agoshe also found one jammed inthe fence that separates the garden and the school, with the sharp end just feet from the school's playground equipment.As well, needles have been found in the adjacent Nelson Park.

"There`s a washroom that was installed [in the park] last summer but there`s no disposal unit that I know of nearby,which would be a good idea," she said.

"I don`t know if people who [shoot up]in a kids' garden are necessarilygoing to use a disposal unit but at least that would be an option."

Sukkauis a member of the Lord Roberts Annex parent advisory counciland constructedthe children's garden after securingthe spacefor the school from Nelson Park.

Howard Normann, Vancouver director of parks, saidneedles are a problem in downtown parks, especially when the weather improves.

"It's a big city issue, Normann said. "In Vancouver we have a large transient crowd and we provide free needles in a needle exchange program.

"So people that use are finding spots to use. Our parks are convenient, they're dark,and they're the perfect spot at night time."

Normann saidparks staff aretrained in disposing of needles, and park users should call 3-1-1 if they come acrossone.ThePortland Hotel Society also runs a needle pick-up service, and has also givenSukkau acontainer to deposit found needles.

Sukkau says the Lord Roberts PAC has yet to discuss a solution for the needle problem,but given the recent issues, she no longer feels the children's garden is a project shecan promote.

"I can`t encourage other parents and teachers to use the garden if it'sa huge safety hazard," she said. "I hate to think what the summer months will bring if this problem isn't adequately dealt with."