York Region's northern municipalities not satisfied with trash collection

Georgina Advocate
January 14, 2014
By Heidi Riedner

A lot of trash talk this past week has led the northern six municipalities to re-examine their contract with GFL Environmental Corp.

Georgina is the latest town to voice displeasure over the level of service being provided, highlighted by several pick-up delays during last week’s storm.

“I can tell you that we’ve been handling a very large volume of calls and that we are taking this situation extremely seriously and that it is now a contractual issue,” Georgina’s communications manager Marcus Cooper said.

Similar to many other municipalities, curbside garbage collection in Georgina by contractor Green for Life (GFL) was delayed due to extreme weather conditions.

On the heels of recycling pickup by GFL in Stouffville and Newmarket being delayed due to malfunctioning trucks, weather delays and a decreased number of staff, garbage pick-up in Georgina was cancelled Jan. 7.

The town’s 10-year contract with GFL was added to this week’s council meeting agenda to address recent problems.

Wednesday’s upcoming discussion comes only days after special meetings were called by councils in Aurora and Whitchurch-Souffville after residents flooded customer service departments with complaints their garbage was not picked up.

Aurora councillors expressed concerns not only with delays, but also the overall service GFL has exhibited during the past few weeks.

Aurora Mayor Geoff Dawe confirmed York Region’s northern six group — which includes Georgina, Whitchurch-Stouffville, King and Newmarket — is going to take a look at the contract during the next couple of weeks.

Garbage delays experienced last week are not the first issue to crop up with GFL since it took over the 10-year service contract negotiated with Turtle Island Recycling Corporation in 2011.

King Township has voiced its displeasure on several occasions about the level of service from GFL.

In November, Ward 4 Councillor Bill Cober said the problem was so bad that “our waste management situation is a crisis”.

Contracting solid waste and recycling collection services as a joint initiative, the northern six was able to achieve an annual savings of approximately $800,000 per year.

While service delivery continued uninterrupted during Dec. 23, 2011 to Feb. 28, 2012 as GFL implemented new management and operating structures, recent problems have prompted a review of the contract to ensure service levels continue to be met and residents aren’t kicked to the curb, and left there, with their garbage.