Exploring lost and found on campus, from unusual finds to what to do if you lose something
Lost and found on the St. George campus is a hub of forgotten belongings—from everyday essentials to unexpected curiosities—managed by a small team working to connect items with their rightful owners.
As a new semester kicks off and the campus hums with energy—faculty, staff, and incoming students are swept up in the excitement. Amidst the activity, it’s not surprising that some belongings get unintentionally left behind.
Collected curiosities
The central lost and found on the St. George campus is run out of the main caretaking office. Every week, they receive 30 to 60 lost items, while every day, 20 to 45 emails come in inquiring about lost items.
Most frequently lost items include water bottles, umbrellas, keys, binders, and books. Increasingly common are headphones—with some weeks seeing 10 or more sets recovered to the office. Items are forgotten most often in classrooms and study halls.
Lost and found has also been home to several unusual items, including blenders, drones, a tv remote, and even a full-sized cat bed.
Thankfully, the cat wasn’t left behind as well.
Journey of lost items
The caretaking team picks up items from buildings across campus on Fridays and sorts them on Mondays. After that, a quick matching is done with recent online queries to start the return process.
Cristina Minichini, project coordinator and the former manager of lost and found, notes that, (most) “items are only kept for eight weeks. After that they are recycled through the swap shop.”
Items of value, such as phones, wallets, cash, and passports, are kept for a minimum of six months in hopes of them being claimed by their rightful owner. Any lost money remaining at the office after this six-month period is donated to charity during the holiday season.
Found an item?
If you find lost items on campus, especially those of notable value, you can drop them off at the building’s lost and found area or take them directly to the lost and found located at the main caretaking office at 256 McCaul St, third floor. They are open weekdays between 8 AM to 12 PM and 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM.
Lost TCards can be dropped off at Robarts Library or brought directly to the TCard Office.
Lost an item?
If you lose an item on campus, fill out the lost and found form—supplying a detailed description.
You’ll receive a confirmation email from the office following your submission to verify whether the item has been found. If it is found, caretaking will schedule a collection appointment.
“Items are always triple verified to ensure that they are returned to the correct owners,” says Cristina. This process often entails the owner supplying very specific and detailed information about the item they are trying to recover, such as passwords to unlock electronic devices.
To help reunite item and owner, Cristina recommends labelling or engraving personal items with a name and phone number or email address.