Editor's note: The following article does not affect Barrie residents because, as a separated city, the municipality handles its own waste collection. These changes do, however, affect the neighbouring towns and townships around Barrie.
For many Simcoe County residents, their waste collection day will likely be changing come November.
As part of a waste management workshop put on by the County of Simcoe on Tuesday morning, Willma Bureau, the county's contracts and collections supervisor, provided a presentation and fielded some questions from county councillors about the new waste collection contract, which included a map of the new collection dates that will go into effect as of Nov. 1.
“We did take into account feedback from local municipalities in the schedules,” said Bureau. “More seasonal areas will either continue to be done on Mondays or, in many cases, some of those areas have been moved to the beginning of the week.”
Bureau noted that collection times will also change, so residents should make sure their bins are to the curb no later than 7 a.m. on their collection dates. She also noted that routes may need to be adjusted and collection dates are subject to change.
During the cart discussion, concerns heard across Simcoe County about the bin sizes and manoeuvrability were raised by councillors. Bureau said a public survey would be done in the spring of 2022 of residents to determine if there is still an appetite for varying cart sizes.
Collingwood Mayor Brian Saunderson raised concerns on cart sizes he has heard from residents in the Blue Fairway subdivision, as well as other smaller townhomes in Collingwood. To read our story on those issues, click here.
“They’re not opposed to the cart system... however, they are very concerned abut the size of the carts,” he said. “I went out with the carts to meet with them. They don’t fit in their garages, they can’t put them in their side yards, and the only way they could put them in their backyards is to actually take them through the house.”
“When will the survey be done that would take the temperature of the desire for various sizes of carts?” asked Saunderson. “This neighbourhood is going to be forced to store these things in their front yards. There’s no other place.”
Rob McCullough, Simcoe County's director of solid waste management, said the county wanted residents to experience the carts for three to six months before releasing the survey. Once the survey results are returned, a staff report would come to council with the results, at which time council would vote on whether to pivot direction on cart collection.
“We want to be able to include our seasonal residents. We want to make sure it’s late enough in the season that they have returned and are able to participate,” said McCullough.
For more information on the new waste collection contract and automated cart collection, click here.
