The arrival of spring in Winnipeg has revealed a pileup of garbage in a number of Winnipeg communities that is frustrating locals.
Volunteers came out in force to pick up litter across several North End neighbourhoods on Saturday. One resident said she hopes better city by-law enforcement will also keep their streets free of garbage and litter, which accumulated over winter.
It’s a headache Kali Martin expects each spring in her St. John’s neighbourhood.
“Some days it just feels really, really defeating,” Martin, who’s owned a home in the area for 17 years, told Global News on Saturday. “Just from my corner where I live, I have picked up over three full-sized garbage bags worth of garbage this spring on one corner.”
“That’s absolutely unbelievable to have that much garbage.”
Martin sees garbage rack up when bags aren’t put in bins properly and when animals or people rummage through the leftovers.
“It’s absolutely disgusting this time of year.”
Improved city by-law, provincial enforcement needed: St. John’s resident
The city says people can contact 311 to flag problem areas.
Crews first inspect the location to figure out the best solution, then they schedule a cleanup on a priority basis, a city spokesperson told Global News on Friday.
But it’s the process of identifying multiple specific addresses and items requiring pickup, along with the wait, that Martin finds frustrating.
“I put in a complaint about garbage to 311 by email a few days ago, and I still haven’t gotten any response other than the immediate auto response,” she said.
On Saturday, neighbourhood groups organized a North End-wide spring cleanup, including in the Inkster, Luxton, Lord Selkirk, Point Douglas, St. John’s and William Whyte neighbourhoods.
“Lots of cans, lots of bottles, masks. Masks was one of the ones that we found,” volunteer Joanne Stranger said.
The area’s high resident turnover often means furniture is discarded in back lanes and sidewalks, William Whyte Neighbourhood Association president Darrell Warren said.
“When you see mattresses, couches and stuff like that when you drive down the street, it’s very discouraging to think, you know, like only in my neighborhood this is happening,” he said.
“It’s not happening in better neighbourhoods. It’s happening here,” Warren, who’s lived in the area for 62 years, told Global News.
However, he’s encouraged by the positive volunteer turnout, he said.
“I do it because I try to keep the seniors here. A lot of the seniors, their kids want them to move out of the area because they feel that the area is unsafe, and it’s just, you know, kind of a hopeless situation.”
Meanwhile, Martin is looking for more effective by-law enforcement and maintenance from the city, along with the province when it comes to buildings owned by Manitoba Housing, she said.
Martin received a message from 311 at one point saying they couldn’t enforce grass cutting and garbage cleanup on Manitoba Housing properties because they didn’t fall under the city’s jurisdiction, she said.
Global News has reached out to the province for comment.
“If you have pockets where people don’t care, then the situation just explodes and gets worse and worse and worse,” Martin said.
Whether it’s locals or volunteers, they hope cleaning up will help convince people to stay in the neighbourhood and take pride in where they live.
–With files from Talha Hashmani