Watch above: What can you do to help reduce the amount of garbage illegally dumped throughout Saskatoon? Wendy Winiewski reports.
SASKATOON – A mattress, five unmatched chairs, a guitar case and a multitude of paper, old toys, and cardboard boxes. It’s a scene you’d expect to find at the garbage dump but it’s actually the view across the alley from Dami Schwartz’s back yard in Saskatoon.
“I hate it! I find it very disrespectful not just as a homeowner, not to mention the fact that it’s disrespectful to every other person who comes to this neighbourhood,” said Schwartz.
The pile in the alley behind Avenue I South began in the yard. Under the property nuisance and maintenance bylaw, Saskatoon Fire Department responded.
“We investigated and directed the owner to remove the junk and debris from their yard. It ended up in the alley,” explained Fire Marshall Wayne Rodger.
Moved from private property to public property, the issue switched hands from the fire department to the City of Saskatoon.
The homeowner’s have until the end of Friday to finish the clean up or be fined $100.
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“The only thing I could say that might be a potential, is tougher legislation,” suggests Schwartz.
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But in many circumstances, it’s unclear who the garbage belongs to. Illegal dumping is a top 10 complaint Coun. Pat Lorje hears from constituents.
“People come out to the landfill and maybe the landfill is closed or they find the price to drop their load of garbage is too great and so they say ‘ah to heck with it’ and they just put it in anybody’s back alley,” said Lorje.
The problem is particularly troublesome in Montgomery neighbourhood according to the city councillor, because it’s nearest to the landfill.
Rodger says it happens all across the city.
Unable to identify who it belongs to, a city hand crew is called to take the garbage to the dump. It’s a service that costs $120,000 annually.
“That’s a huge misuse of taxpayers money,” Lorje admits.
Residents are encouraged to keep an eye on their back yard and report plate numbers of any vehicle they see committing the offence.
Landfill entrance fees are $10 plus an additional charge based on the material being discarded.
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