City eyes locks to limit loose garbage

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This article was published 05/09/2024 (421 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The City of Winnipeg is exploring whether lockable garbage bins could curb some trash from being strewn around downtown.

Mayor Scott Gillingham said loose garbage, including debris from receptacles deliberately dumped onto the streets, is piling up to an unsightly degree.

“I want a cleaner downtown,” Gillingham said.

“Sometimes, some of the debris that we see in our downtown streets and sidewalks comes from garbage cans that have been emptied out by individuals. So, we want to do what we can on our side to make it more difficult for people to tamper with litter receptacles and recycling receptacles.”

The mayor said it’s not yet clear what features a preferred product would have or how much the change could cost. Gillingham said any potential purchase would focus on devices that are difficult to pry open. People have destroyed or damaged garbage lids to remove trash from locked standard bins in the past, he said.

Gillingham said city staff members are pricing out potential options to be considered.

Despite frequent trash collection and litter pickups by the city, private businesses and business improvement zone groups, Gillingham said more work is needed.

“We have too much trash on our streets and downtown, and it looks ugly. I don’t want it looking ugly,” he said.

An apparent increase in garbage plaguing Winnipeg’s downtown was noted in a Free Press article posted online Wednesday. Downtown employees said they repeatedly spotted piles of trash, feces or drug paraphernalia after cleaning crews couldn’t keep up with the growing mess.

“We have too much trash on our streets and downtown, and it looks ugly. I don’t want it looking ugly.”–Scott Gillingham

The mayor said taking a real dent out of downtown trash also requires frequent collection to continue and for people to help keep things clean.

Tom Ethans, executive director of Take Pride Winnipeg, said he’s glad to see the city focus on litter, adding this shouldn’t be the only new step.

“The more tools we use to lessen the amount of litter on our streets, the better,” he said.

Ethans said he would like the city to launch an education campaign to teach anyone who can bring their trash home to do so, to decrease the amount of garbage available to be dumped from public bins.

Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of the public works committee, said addressing litter and dumping is a growing issue.

“It’ s a huge priority (to address). Garbage is something, in theory, we can control. It seems a little out of control right now,” Lukes (Waverley West) said.

People tend to dump out the entire contents of garbage bins instead of rummaging through trash selectively, she said.

Gillingham said staff are being hired to create long-awaited neighbourhood action teams, a campaign pledge. The full-time civic maintenance staff members will be able to plow, plant, patch, repair, replace and mow as needed, and help pick up litter, he said.

The employees had been expected to start work in early 2024. The mayor said union negotiations took time to address the wide scope of tasks the cross-trained employees will complete.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

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