LITTLE CURRENT—Downtown Little Current dumpsters will not be returning to the downtown and front dock areas for the summer months, despite the protests of some business owners and residents.
Last December, Northeast Town staff removed all dumpsters from the downtown core following severe misuse of the service. CAO Dave Williamson told The Expositor the intent was to put the dumpsters back downtown for the summer months, but staff since has decided against it.
“The purpose of those bins was for the waterfront,” he said. “But having downtown Little Current used as a garbage receptacle is not acceptable.”
As was reported last December, town crews were dealing with people dumping animal carcases, furniture, electronics and construction refuse in the downtown dumpsters.
Many of the offending parties were identified as being from communities outside the Northeast Town and even off-Island—as far away as Sudbury.
“Those bins were creating a lot of extra work for public works staff,” Mr. Williamson shared, noting that the dumpsters were needing to be emptied daily, with staff also spending an inordinate amount of time picking up trash left on the ground.
Boaters will now be asked for their garbage by the students docking the boats upon arrival to the Port of Little Current. Garbage bags will then be loaded into the back of the harbourfront utility vehicle and picked up by town staff each evening and brought to the landfill.
One of the downtown bins was located next to Wally’s Dock Service. Proprietor Rob Little asked the municipality to consider keeping the dumpster there, where it has been for years, but was denied his request and told he could pay for a dumpster like some other businesses in the town do.
Mr. Little told The Expositor he has no place to put a dumpster as the previous one was on municipal property and anywhere else would be a hindrance to the fuel trucks accessing his waterfront pumps. He says he can foresee an issue with garbage this summer as he sees the town’s small utility vehicle being filled up two or three times a day currently, with overflowing garbage cans along the dock and the busy season has yet to begin.
A dumpster remains at Spider Bay Marina for the seasonal and transient boaters there but it is now padlocked.
In other Island port communities, Billings Township has garbage and recycling receptacles available to the public at the Aus Hunt Marina and Small Craft Harbour.
The Town of Gore Bay also has marina dumpsters available for use.
Most of Assiginack’s boating traffic is seasonal, CAO Alton Hobbs explained, so boaters mostly take care of their refuse themselves by bringing it to the landfill. Assiginack does not utilize dumpsters anywhere in the municipality, but does have public garbage cans on the main street and on the waterfront. Mr. Hobbs says public works crews are often having to tidy them up on Mondays.
“The reality is, the need (for the dumpsters) just isn’t there,” Mr. Williamson said, pointing out the landfill is open three days a week in the summer months (Sundays, Tuesdays and Saturdays) and residents of Little Current, Ward 2, have Friday garbage pickup.
