Clothing box operators will have bylaw grace period

Owners of drop boxes for used clothing in Ottawa will have two months to comply with a new city bylaw requiring them to properly identify themselves to potential donors.

Monday was the first day charitable and for-profit box owners needed permission from private property owners to set up their bins.

Underthe city bylaw the organizations also have to put large signs on their boxes with their name and a working phone number, allowing potential donors to call and promptly find out where the clothing goes and what is done with the profits.

Companies claiming to be charities are also required to put their Revenue Canada-issued charity number on the signage.

Donation box owners will have a two month grace period to comply with the changes, said Christine Hartig, a strategic support officer with the City of Ottawa.

"Go ahead and do the signage or address, whatever the issue is, and if we get another call about the same thing in a reasonable time period we issue a notice of violation," said Hartig.

Hartig says the city will be patient to a point, butsaid if there is a failure to comply the city will issue fines in the $300 range.

Donate locally, says charity

One group operating boxes in Ottawa, Toronto-based Hand to Hand Community Services Foundation Inc, lists itself as a non-profit but isn't listed as a registered charity with Revenue Canada.

The Orangeville Foodbank confirmed Hand to Hand gave it hundreds of pounds of food in April.

Local charity Ottawa Neighbourhood Services has been pushing for out-of-town charities and businesses operating boxes in the city to have to donate some of their proceeds to local charities.

ONS president Patricia Lemieux said donations to her charity's bins are down 40 to 50 per cent in the last three years.

Multiple phone calls to Hand to Hand Community Services about possible Ottawa donations were not returned.