Sudbury city panel to discuss garbage pickup bylaws

More bears on streets in Sudbury, Ont.,could mean more fines for people who put their trash out the night before collection day.

The city's solid waste advisory panel will discuss enforcing the garbage pickup bylaw later this month.

City councillorAl Sizer says the group decided to discuss actively enforcing the bylaw after the province decided to hire more bear technicians to deal with an increase in sightings in Sudbury.

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"In speaking with different regional directors, the Ministry of Natural Resource and beartechnicians, they've said attractants are the biggest thing," says Sizer."Ifwe get rid of theattractants, the bears won't come into town."

The current bylaw states between April and the end of November, residentscan put trash out between 5 a.m and 7 a.m.on collection day.

In the winter, residents can place trash out anytime after 8 p.m. the night before.

These who have wildlife in theirarea, are only allowed to puttrash out in the morning.

The bylaw was created last April. At that time, Sizer says city council faced so much backlash that they decided not to actively enforce it.

Unlocked garbage makes for 'a nice feast'

For people like Remi Boucher, that's not a problem.

"Right now, I definitely get my trash out in the morning because we do have problems with bears," says the resident of New Sudbury.

Boucher says he tends to follow the city's rules, but mostly because he doesn't want unwelcome wildlife in his yard.

"Just last year, when I moved in, bears did get into my garbage in my shed," says Boucher.

"Theymanaged to rip apart my shed door, where the garbage was in bags, not a container. They started going through my garbage andhad a nice feast."

While many of Boucher's neighbours feel the same, some still put out blue boxes and yard clippings the night before collection day.

Geannine Rivet also lives in New Sudbury. She says she puts out her trash the night before because there's no other reason for her to get up early.

"Yes, realistic for some people, but if you're like me and you're not working, why should I get up at that time to put it out on the road?"

City meeting might just be talk

Sizer says enforcing the bylaw would mean warnings and fines from bylaw officers.

He predicts the panel meeting won't change much, since he remembers how fierce community backlash was against the initial bylaw.

"I'm not sure there's an appetite with council to go ahead and enforce that bylaw," he says. "We may discuss it, but that may be as far as it goes."