From cellphones to dentures: Inside Halifax Transit’s lost and found

Lost and found on the bus The lost and found department of Halifax Transit processes thousands of misplaced items every year.

Through the doors of the Halifax Transit Bridge Terminal in Dartmouth, N.S., there is a busy lost and found department. It’s where every single misplaced item on a bus or ferry in the Halifax Regional Municipality ends up.

“The purpose of the department is to have a centralized system to provide, track and save people’s lost items,” said Rub Nawaz, Halifax Transit employee services supervisor.

“We have an influx of people coming for the things and there are lots of items coming. 25 to 40 every day.”

The lost pieces include cellphones, earbuds and keys -- items commuters carry everywhere which are easily misplaced.

“Most common items are IDs actually, and that’s probably something that most folks actually come back to retrieve,” said Jacqueline Willett, Halifax Transit employee services manager.

“In the wintertime, hats and mittens. A lot of those items come and unfortunately aren’t collected, but then in the summertime, more so like sunglasses and things like that.”

Willet said every day something “new and exciting” arrives

“We get a ton of bicycles, believe it or not. We do have quite a supply of those on hand,” said Willett. “An odd kind of bizarre thing that we’ve had in the past is somebody’s dentures, so a set of teeth.”

Halifax Transit throws away perishable items right away, but it keeps almost everything else for 30 days. After that, the items often get donated.

Nawaz said the lost and found system is very thorough.

“They log everything. People contact us, they just give the description, their contact number, their name, and when we have the delivery, we contact them,” said Nawaz.

It is a busy department, but Willet said it’s also rewarding. Recently, the department returned a woman’s wallet which was missing for three months before it was brought to lost and found.

“She was beyond thrilled and so thankful she actually came in and gifted something to the folks that work lost and found,” said Willett. “It's those moments that really make us feel really good about what we do here at lost and found.”

Passengers who find lost items on a bus or ferry can give it to the operator who will then ensure it gets delivered to the Halifax Transit Bridge Terminal lost and found and be returned to its rightful owner.

The lost and found department for Halifax Transit is closed on weekends, so Monday is usually the busiest day of the week.

For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.