CBRM residents want their heavy garbage collection back, councillors say

Heavy garbage pickup could be brought back tothe Cape Breton Regional Municipality next month.

The annual curbsidepickup of items that aretoo big for regular garbage collectionwas cut fromthis year's budget, but many councillorsnow want it reinstated. The municipality estimates the cost of the pickup service at$250,000.

Coun.AmandaMacDougall represents Main-a-Dieu and parts ofGlaceBay and PortMorien and said she's getting a lot of calls on the issue. She moved a motion to have a heavy garbage pickup if there is money available at the end of thismonth. That motion passed unanimously.

Last October, theCBRMhad a special heavy garbage pickup after floodwaters damaged many homes and belongings.

Mayor CecilClarke pointed to that one-time pickup as pressure on the budget.

"We also, in the budget process, looked at new initiatives like putting money into the transit pilot to expand services so it's all about balance and priorities."

Illegal dumping concerns

Coun.GeorgeMacDonald of GlaceBay was concerned about where the garbage will go if there is no pickup.

"If anybody has driven around the old airport road and in behind there, people will find places to dump this garbage," he said.

Coun. Earlene MacMullin of North Sydney said the pickup, which usually happens each spring, is important for residents.

"Every district, we have people on low-income or fixed income that depend on this service. They just don't have the money to pay a contractor or someone to come in and haul away these heavy things."