# Source note: Michael Dowling / Sawatsky Sign-Off litter cleanup story

Published: 2026-06-15

## Video source
- CTV News YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEejYGwHKOw
- Direct intro timestamp: https://youtu.be/ZEejYGwHKOw?t=2518
- Direct segment timestamp: https://youtu.be/ZEejYGwHKOw?t=2533
- Video title: Kids injured after electrical issue at waterpark | CTV News Vancouver at Six for June 15, 2026
- Channel: CTV News
- Upload date from metadata: 20260616
- Duration: 2699 seconds

## Relevant transcript excerpt
41:58 >> THE ROAD TO RECOVERY CANDY
41:59 LITTERED WITH CHALLENGES OR IN
42:00 THE CASE OF ONE VANCOUVER MAN.
42:04 IT'S TRULY LITTERED PICKING UP
42:05 GARBAGE HAS HELPED HIM CONNECT
42:06 WITH THE BOY HE WAS IN BECOME
42:09 THE MAN HE IS TODAY. ADAM
42:10 EXPLAINS IN TONIGHT'S SAWATSKY
42:12 SIGNOFF.
42:13 >> IF YOU ASK MICHAEL DOWLING
42:14 WHAT HE WANTED TO BE WHEN HE
42:16 GREW UP BACK WHEN HE WAS THIS
42:18 OLD, HE MIGHT HAVE SHOWED YOU
42:19 HIS MANIFESTO. THAT SAID WHEN
42:22 I GROW UP, I WANT TO LIVE IN
42:23 THE WOODS WITH THE BEARS.
42:24 HE WROTE ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE
42:26 OF PROTECTING THE NATURAL
42:27 WORLD. MICHAEL SAYS BEFORE
42:29 PICKING UP LITTER IN A LITTLE
42:29 RED WAGON. THEY LIKE RIGHT OUT
42:32 OF THE NORMAN ROCKWELL.
42:33 >> A PAINTING AND I WAS I HAD
42:34 MY OWN LITTLE PRIVATE DUMP
42:36 BEHIND HER HOUSE, WHICH LED
42:37 TO PURSUING MARINE BIOLOGY IN
42:39 UNIVERSITY. AND THEN I THOUGHT,
42:42 I DON'T KNOW IF I WANT TO BE A
42:43 SCIENTIST BEGUN FOR GRANTS AND
42:43 STUFF. SO I ENDED UP TAKING
42:45 A MARKETING MANAGEMENT COURSE.
42:46 AND WILL MICHAEL WENT ON TO
42:48 ACHIEVE BIG PROFESSIONAL GAINS
42:50 IN REAL ESTATE AND THE STOCK
42:50 MARKET.
42:51 >> HE SUFFERED EVEN GREATER
42:53 PERSONAL LOSSES. WOW, PARTY.
42:55 THE ALCOHOL TOOK ME DOWN A
42:57 REALLY DARK PATH. REALLY QUICK.
42:59 AND SO YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T THINK
43:00 I WAS GOING TO LIVE PAST 29.
43:01 I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, I WAS
43:02 GOING TO GET A 3 ON MY AGE.
43:03 >> SO HE GOT HELP THE WORK TO
43:06 GET SOBER AND STARTED THINKING
43:09 ABOUT THE IDEALISTIC BOY HE
43:10 ONCE WAS REALLY NEED TO
43:13 DEDICATE MYSELF TO. HUMBLE
43:14 WORK. SO AFTER NOTICING A PIECE
43:16 OF GARBAGE ON THE BEACH ONE
43:17 DAY, MICHAEL DECIDED TO PICK
43:20 IT UP. YOU KNOW, EVERY CLEAN
43:21 BEACH STARTS WITH SOMEBODY
43:22 PICKING UP ONE PIECE. NOW
43:23 MICHAEL SPENDS AT LEAST 10
43:26 HOURS A WEEK. THE GREATEST
43:26 FEELING IN THE WORLD WITH A BAG
43:30 AND A PICKER. IF YOU HAVE ARE
43:31 COLLECTING COUNTLESS PIECES
43:33 OF LITTER, BECOME A BIT OF A
43:35 KARBALA, JUST THE KIND OF
43:36 SELF-TAUGHT PHD IN KARBALA.
43:39 G I GOT DOWN TO A SCIENCE HAHA.
43:42 >> AND NOW THAT HE SAID TO
43:42 CELEBRATE 26 YEARS OF SOBRIETY
43:44 HERE AND HE'S HAPPY PLACE.
43:45 >> IF YOU ASK MICHAEL WHAT HE
43:48 WANTS TO DO NOW THAT HE'S GROWN
43:50 UP, HE'LL SAY THIS AND TELL YA,
43:52 IT'S PRICELESS. YOU KNOW, ADOPT
43:53 YOUR BLOCK, ADOPT YOUR BEACH.
43:57 >> AND OWN IT, JUST TRY IT.
43:59 MY CALL TO ACTION. HAHA.
43:59 I CAN'T HELP MYSELF. I'M A
44:01 SALES WITH GREAT HAHA.
44:01 >> ADAM SAWATSKY, CTV NEWS.
44:10 >> I WATCHED THE TO YOU BY 1,

## Editorial handling
This is a source-card/community feature based on CTV News Vancouver’s Sawatsky Sign-Off segment. It should be framed as CTV’s reported story, not independent verification of every biographical detail. The public-interest angle is community cleanup, recovery/sobriety, environmental care, and the practical “adopt your block/adopt your beach” call to action.