LETTER: 7 A.M. TOO EARLY FOR SENIORS TO HAVE TO PUT OUT TRASH
Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com
MUSKOKA — All that take-out food means you’ll have to get up early to take out the trash.
The District of Muskoka, which is struggling with waste management, says it is overwhelmed with your stay-at-home collections.
But that’s not good enough to at least one resident in Gravenhurst.
Laurie Dixon writes in a letter to the editor (below) that’s “too early for many seniors.”
“This appears to be done for the convenience of the newly-appointed waste collection contractor — certainly not for town residents.”
Instead of hiring more workers to recoup costs from the tons of garbage, recyclables and compostable material they profit from, the district is asking home and business owners to litter the streets with un-godly sights for another hour a day.
“Not creating an inconvenience to the taxpayer,” she adds.
At the end of May they want your trash “a bit earlier” — by 7 a.m.
Thus leaving unsightly mess that often doesn’t get picked up till later in the day — or at all.
They also want 60 more minutes of your day stretching in to the evening, according to the district, as it plays catch-up.
They said in a release Friday: “We’re working closely with our contractor to find better and more efficient ways of getting your waste collected. We need your help!”
Do they ever. Three gas-guzzling trucks stopping at homes and businesses is the way they wastefully contract business.
“It has become necessary for crews to begin earlier as we are managing more garbage and recycling each week and more time is needed daily to complete routes. It is less busy in the early morning and drivers won’t need to compete with traffic and parked cars in our urban areas. An early start will also help on hot weather days – our drivers collect garbage manually and it’s cooler in the morning to get a head-start on their day.”
According to the district it’s not their fault.
They only pay the contractor with your taxes.
“We apologize for the continued waste collection delays and impacts some communities are experiencing. Our collection contractor, Waste Connections of Canada, continues to have labour challenges ultimately impacting the number of drivers and trucks on the road each day.”
They say residents may see a different collection vehicle picking up recyclables or materials going into one divided truck. This is being done to get recycling collected. From there, the material is taken to other locations for additional sorting.
If you experienced missed collection and to learn when crews are returning to your neighbourhood, visit www.muskokarecycles.ca or download our free Muskoka Recycles mobile app.
The district is hiring new contractor GFL Environmental to handle recycling, replacing Waste Connections of Canada, claiming it will save $400,000 — but cost many Muskokans jobs.
The district has had a lot of trouble on this issue since the start of the pandemic including a shortage of drives.
DEAR EDITOR:
We have been told by the District of Muskoka to contact our councillor regarding this notice re complaint.
That the change was implemented due to increase in waste tonnage and that their drivers are not out in the heat of the day.
We are at the beginning of a run so that our garbage and recycle is picked up at a few minutes past 8 a.m.
We are now advised that this is going to occur at 7 a.m. meaning we will have to get up by 6 a.m. in order to ensure we do not miss the pick-up.
Many Gravenhurst residents are seniors and do not get up that early.
This appears to be done for the convenience of the newly-appointed waste collection contractor — certainly not for town residents.
If there is such a substantial increase in the tonnage of waste then more vehicles should be put to the task with shorter collection routes not creating an inconvenience to the taxpayer.
The district response was get a bear bin and put it out the night before.
And our town ward councillor Penny Varney’s response was to buy bins with lids.
Once again the taxpayer is not consulted or considered before the change is implemented.
Laurie Dixon, Gravenhurst
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May 10, 2021 @ 7:46 pm
Since 2005 I have experienced reliable waste collection here at the corner of Muskoka Rd. S. and Main St. in Gravenhurst – that is until 2020. Last summer the contractor did not reliably pick up the green bins. The green bin is the most important collection for me. This corner lot on the main drag of the town creates a lot of yard waste weekly from spring to fall. With the shrub trimming, the weeding and the grass clippings. Why a truck stops and picks up at the neighbours then leaves mine behind is beyond reason. This past week they picked up my garbage, but not the green bins. In the past the green bins were collected by the same truck as the garbage as it had two separate bins. Last summer when the green bins did get picked up (by an emergency contractor) they were dumped in with the garbage.
Not an environmental friendly action.
It almost seems that the District does not appreciate all the work I do to make this town a bit more attractive to all those visitors travelling up this main artery.
I do rise early to put my green bins, blue box and garbage out so animals and birds do not have an opportunity to make a mess.
In the winter I only put out the green bin and blue box on garbage pick up days, thus saving the driver a stop every other week.
But in the summer I expect all the yard waste I collect from this lot to be picked up every week.
And yes I put out the leaf bags, spring and fall.
Perhaps the councillors could put more effort into serving the taxpayers better. How much would a few more trucks in the summer add to the cost?
And surely the early start is not needed half the year. And only half the trucks are needed half the year.
Come on get creative, do some hard thinking. Give us better service, not this mish-mash we have now.
Lois Cooper