The price of curbside pickup for residents throughout the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) is set to more than double next year.
The RDOS voted on Thursday to move ahead with a $2.3-million garbage contract with Waste Connections Canada instead of two other options that included moving the service in-house.
“We are right at the end of another seven-year contract time that we had with Waste Connections. This was an opportunity to adjust the service bylaw that meets the curbside Regional District service,” said RDOS Area G Director Tim Roberts.
“By doing so, we had a very small window or an opportunity to look at other options.”
RDOS staff recommended going with the contract based on the additional risk factors that could come with moving the service in-house, including risks with staffing numbers, and vehicles. and any unforeseen costs in the future.
“Myself and the other rural directors that voted to not go into the contract felt that the differential between the risks versus what savings we could have gave enough of a buffer and we trusted the numbers,” said Roberts.
“So, we were willing to go through with that because that would also give us the ability to start to address the service bylaw, that we are all within.”
The contract will cover a biweekly collection of refuse and recycling, a weekly collection of food and yard waste, and a yearly large item pick-up from the curbside for residents with some exceptions.
The RDOS will also have to spend $2.5 million to purchase three new bins for each household to be compatible with the fully automated garbage trucks that Waste Connections is switching to.
Aside from the cost, Keremeos resident Rhonda Wilkins is concerned for her older neighbours who will be required to move the large bins for garbage pickup.
“Lugging those big containers up a long driveway like most of us have in rural areas… it’s not easy. Our population around here I think the majority are 70 and up. And now they have to lug the bins all the way up for curbside services. That’s pretty heavy for them,” said Wilkins.
“And then there’s the cost even though the Regional Director said they will try to mitigate those costs of purchasing them, but they’ve broken our bins and we’ve had to go repurchase them and that’s another cost.”
The new contract with Waste Connections starts at $1 million above the current RDOS contract with the company, which expires in June 2025.
Communities are now locked into the new terms and prices for the next seven years and will see increases over the contract term.
“I know I appreciate the garbage service pickup, and I know a lot of people do, but we’ve just lost an opportunity to look at different alternatives to this collection or this service that’s here,” said Wilkins.
Residents who receive curbside pick-up through the RDOS can expect fees to go up anywhere between 127 per cent and 237 per cent.
In Area G which includes Rural Keremeos, Hedley, and Olalla that is an expected increase of 151 per cent or around $300.
“We only found out about a day or two days before the board meeting, when they were going to be voting on the recommendations,” said Wilkins.
“There is no public engagement, nothing. There was no public engagement or anything like that because it was in camera talking about a contract.”
Percentage and real number per year increase for each RDOS region:
- Area A (Rural Osoyoos): $147.30 in 2024 to $337.41 in 2025, an increase of 127 per cent.
- Area B (Cawston and Lower Similkameen): $150.11 to $380.03, an increase of 153 per cent.
- Area C (Rural Oliver): From $162.98 to $383.29, an increase of 135 per cent.
- Areas D (Skaha East), E (Naramata), F (Greater West Bench, Rural Summerland, Okanagan Lake West) and I (Skaha West, Kaleden, Apex: From $154.83 to $382.94, an increase of 147 per cent.
- Red Wing residents: From $157.17 to $382.74, an increase of 144 per cent.
- Area G (Rural Keremeos, Hedley, Olalla): From $175.44 to $441.14, an increase of 151 per cent.
- Okanagan Falls: From $138.12 to $465.09, an increase of 237 per cent.
- Village of Keremeos: From $132.70 to $368.00, an increase of 177.31 per cent.
“I’ve already had calls from people. I had a person that just called me who’s on disability and retired and they’re saying, ‘I’m going to have to sell my trailer like what am I going to do?’ It’s a choice between eating or paying the bill,” said Roberts.
“We can’t keep on going how we’re going, we’re going to have to look at the services that we provide and ask the citizens do we need to back off a bit and drop our expectations, lower our costs, because it’s not sustainable for sure.”
Roberts made a notice of motion following the vote to call for the exploration of more flexible options when it comes to curbside pickup, which includes reviewing the service bylaw. However, any changes or decisions made right now would not have any immediate impact.
“We can do a lot of good work, have great discussions come up with a really good plan,” said Roberts. “But it won’t come to fruition until seven years is up because we’re now in a seven-year contract.”
In the meantime, local officials say they are exploring options for ways to soften the sticker shock for residents.