### Charlottetown, your kids are literally digging up trouble

Good morning from the Atlantic — three provinces, five communities, and the stories that cross every border. Now look, I thought I'd heard it all, but this one from St. John's, Newfoundland, has me shaking my head clear over here on PEI. Imagine your little ones, out playing at preschool – a spot you trust, where they're supposed to be safe – and they unearth a "filthy, dirty" syringe. Not just any syringe, mind you, but one that actually stuck one of the kids. Some shocking, isn't it?

This isn't some back alley, b'y, this is a downtown preschool playground. It really makes you wonder what's going on with the clean-up and safety protocols when something like this can happen. It's not just a Newfoundland issue either; we've seen similar incidents closer to home in Charlottetown, though maybe not right in a preschool. But it speaks to a broader challenge cities face with public health and safety, particularly in accessible spaces where children play.

#### What This Means for Our Communities

* **Public Safety:** It’s a wake-up call for every municipality, including our own Charlottetown Parks and Recreation department, to review how public spaces are maintained and inspected.

* **Child Welfare:** Parents, myself included, are always looking for safe places for our children. This story underlines the need for constant vigilance and reporting anything suspicious.

* **Community Responsibility:** It’s not just up to the city. We all have a role in keeping our shared spaces clean and safe for everyone, especially the wee ones playing in places like Victoria Park or even the smaller neighbourhood green spaces.

This story, though from St. John's, echoes the concerns we sometimes hear right here in Charlottetown. We boast about our beautiful, safe city, the birthplace of Confederation, but even here, we need to be sharp. Our historic downtown, with its lovely parks and playgrounds, deserves the same scrutiny. We want our children to grow up enjoying our island without having to worry about what they might dig up.

Bridget Chicken-MacPhail, MiTL Sports Desk, Charlottetown.

My mates on the morning show are having a proper chat about this — you can catch it live over at mornings.live.