Councillor pushes for curb to overnight garbage collection

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This article was published 28/02/2024 (641 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Overnight commercial garbage pickups have been waking up the neighbours.

A call to explore restricting such collection to daytime hours is winding its way through city hall.

“For the people it really does impact, it’s really bad for them… Usually, the (pickups triggering complaints are) at 4 a.m.,” said Coun. John Orlikow (River Heights-Fort Garry).

He recently raised a motion to explore restricting the hours of commercial garbage collection. If council’s water and waste committee approves it, city staff will report back on the topic in about three months.

Private companies that pick up commercial waste are exempt from neighbourhood liveability noise restrictions, which Orlikow believes is linked to them performing a needed service.

He said complaints over the issue are common, though, especially in the Corydon Avenue and Academy Road areas, where businesses are located close to many homes.

“As (these) areas are densifying, the issue is not going to get better, it’s going to get worse,” said Orlikow.

James, who lives near multiple businesses, said the problem has persisted at the home he moved into about two years ago. At the worst times, he was awakened about twice a week at 3:30 a.m. by one private waste collector and once a week at 4 a.m. by another.

“It’s a loud bang. It kind of startles you. You can’t get back to sleep easily,” said James, who did not want his last name published.

He said the loss of sleep has left him tired and groggy at times.

James hopes a bylaw change can prohibit commercial waste pickups between the hours 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. within or near residential areas. If that doesn’t happen, he suspects he will wind up moving.

“I think we would have stayed in this house forever… and there’s no way now. We’ll be moving in the next few years, for sure, unless the bylaw changes so this (becomes) strictly illegal,” he said.

In an email, a water and waste spokeswoman said commercial waste pickups may be collected at night due to safety or accessibility issues, such as high traffic downtown, during daytime hours.

Private waste contractors are in compliance with the neighbourhood liveability bylaw, since their vehicles are not stationary and don’t stay near homes for more than 10 minutes between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., said spokeswoman Lisa Marquardson.

Council’s water and waste committee is expected to vote on the motion Monday.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

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