A proposal that would impose restrictions around waste bin storage in certain Calgary neighbourhoods has cleared its first hurdle at city hall.
The proposed changes to the city’s waste bylaw are in an effort to cut down on interactions between humans and wildlife by limiting the amount of time waste bins can be placed on the street on collection days, and how they’re stored the rest of the week.
“This is about time-specific, location-specific measures that can be implemented should the potential for a conflict, or a conflict be arising, with respect to wildlife and waste,” Ward 11 Coun. Kourtney Penner said Thursday.
The proposed bylaw amendments would allow the director of Waste and Recycling Services to designate “temporary wildlife-affected areas,” based on reports of animals rummaging through waste bins, reports of problems with wildlife, or recommendations from provincial wildlife officers.
In these affected areas, Calgarians would not be allowed to set out their waste bins until 5 a.m. on collection days, and would have to store them by 7 p.m.
The proposed bylaw changes would also require residents in affected neighbourhoods to store their waste bins in a garage, shed or secured area.
Failure to comply could result in a minimum fine of $250.
The city’s Community Development committee voted unanimously to support the proposal.
It comes after a black bear sow and three cubs were euthanized last October by Alberta Fish and Wildlife after reports the bears were repeatedly rummaging through waste bins in the community of Discovery Ridge.
“The vast majority of people are very interested in how we look after our wildlife,” Ward 6 Coun. Richard Pootmans said. “They recognize it is a moral problem. Killing bears is not the right thing to do because they wandered into our area. We’ve wandered into their area.”
Pootmans added that bears that have become habituated to human behaviour are not safe to be around for people living in these affected communities either.
Kim Titchener, president of Bear Safety & More, said the city’s approach is a step in the right direction, but the measures should be permanent to ensure the safety of both bears and residents.
“The problem with bears is once they get into a human food source, garbage, compost, they are going to come back,” she told Global News. “They will come back in the morning as well.”
Following the incident in Discovery Ridge, the city launched a bear awareness campaign to encourage storing waste in a secure enclosure and limiting waste-cart set-out overnight.
If the proposed changes to the waste bylaw take effect, Penner said they most likely wouldn’t be year-round and would rely on expertise from Fish and Wildlife and city ecologists to determine the next steps.
“While (Discovery Ridge) wasn’t an isolated incident last year, it was probably the most heightened incident we’ve had in a long time,” Penner said. “So this is a step forward and we’ll continue to monitor and assess to see what other changes may need to happen.”
Residents in Discovery Ridge noted several challenges with the proposed rules to Global News on Wednesday, like senior citizens and people with a lack of garage space.
Pootmans suggested a “bin buddy” program, where neighbours could help others bring out their bins and put them away, similar to the Snow Angels sidewalk shovelling program in the winter.
The proposal will now go to city council in September for a final say, with a goal of implementing the program by the fall.
— with files from Global News’ Michael King and Norma Reid