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Reuniting people with mitts and more builds online B.C. community

鈥楨ven little things make a difference鈥 says woman running online lost and found
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This tiny stuffy has yet to be reunited with its family, but is drawing a lot of attention and creating community on the Oak Bay Lost & Found Facebook page.(Courtesy Cyndra Townley)

Cyndra Townley is physically incapable of passing by a lonely mitten.

Finding things isn鈥檛 new to her. It鈥檚 actually a bit of a super power.

鈥淚 once found my mother-in-law鈥檚 diamond upside down in the shag rug behind her fridge.鈥

These days it鈥檚 primarily cashmere beanies, tiny shoes, dog licence tags and keys.

A lot of keys.

鈥淭his is stuff that if I lost it it would drive me crazy,鈥 Townley said.

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She once picked up a tiny bootie in Beacon Hill Park and through the power of social media got it back to the owner 鈥 well the owner鈥檚 parents. What seemed an inconsequential piece of clothing returned was actually from Denmark, a gift from grandparents and of course part of a pair.

鈥淚 delivered this bootie in Rockland and this couple was over the moon. That gave me this perspective that even little things make a difference,鈥 Townley said.

Finding the neighbourhood groups on social media cluttered with home rental listings and quasi-jokes about leaf blowers, Townley created a dedicated page on Facebook called .

There she and the community match up people with a ton of missing keys and mitts, plus the odd plushie.

She marks her latest stuffed animal the most rewarding 鈥 and popular 鈥 find to date.

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鈥淗e was sticking out of a two-foot-high wet, dirty leaf pile on Beach Drive and he鈥檚 only three inches high,鈥 Townley said. 鈥淚 had to go back and get him, it registered in my mind I had passed something. I pictured somebody had chucked this out of a stroller and there鈥檚 a mum going 鈥榦h my son or daughter lost their favourite 鈥︹欌

It鈥檚 now had a wash and brush with before and after photos posted online, the bear has yet to be reunited with its family.

It also elicited the most heartfelt and copious responses. A back-and-forth of conversation and ideas also plays into the underlying reason Townley started the page.

A Canadian who grew up in war-torn Libya, she鈥檚 a fan of creating positive community.

鈥淚 know what a terrible community looks like. Anything I can do to make us feel like a community, I鈥檒l do it,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really rewarding. People can be quite reserved 鈥 it鈥檚 just a huge icebreaker. That and the block watch.鈥

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Shortly after moving to Oak Bay three years ago, she joined Block Watch as another way to build community and meet people. Now she鈥檚 a leader for 60 homes in her neighbourhood. It also morphed into work with the Oak Bay Emergency Preparedness Program.

鈥淚 need to make this place feel connected to me,鈥 Townley said.

She figures about one-third of the items listed on the Facebook page wind up returned. She recently successfully retrieved her own lost light-up dog collar.

And Townley has a potential plan for the leftovers.

Already she鈥檚 envisioning the community connection that might be created with a clothesline of lonely gloves, boots and wayward caps, and an invitation online to let folks know to 鈥渃ome by for the things you lost.鈥



Christine van Reeuwyk

About the Author: Christine van Reeuwyk

Longtime journalist with the Greater Victoria news team.
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