Garbage Collection in Lac Le Jeune?

This news is out of the blue, and seems a little odd in light of the recent efforts to improve the Lac Le Jeune transfer station with scheduled hours, staffing, and a recycling program.

A few months ago a couple gentlemen in a large pick up were driving slowly down Lookout Road, looking back and forth at each property. They stopped to chat, probably because I was watching them so closely. Either that or they wanted to know why I was pushing my dog in a jogging stroller. "Don't mind us -- we were asked to check out this area for possible curbside garbage collection."

I didn't think much about it at the time. I mean, why on earth would we want curbside garbage collection in Lac Le Jeune? These guys must be hoping for some work, but I don't think they'll find it here, I thought.

Well this week the news spread quickly. Apparently Thompson-Nicola Regional District IS moving full steam ahead. I'm wondering, has anyone in Lac Le Jeune been consulted? I can't imagine there would be too many residents in favour of this plan.

Are you opposed to curbside garbage collection? Then you should write a letter to the TNRD. Here is the letter mailed by Elna Strand last week. It nicely covers all the key issues:

June 30, 2009

Chairman and Board

Thompson Nicola Regional District

#300-465 Victoria Street

Kamloops, BC

V2C 2A9

Dear Sir;

We live at 3897 Lookout Road, Lac Le Jeune. There is a rumor that the TNRD plans to change our garbage collection from the present system of a central collection station, to curb-side collection.This decision appears to have been made without due consideration for local conditions. I am opposed to this change for the following reasons:

1. Curb-side collection means that garbage will be beside the road for, at the least, several hours. This is unacceptable because it will attract bears and other wildlife. This is a rural, holiday area with a variety of wildlife. With our current system for handling garbage we have no garbage dependent animals near residential areas. At the present time we have a bear and a cub in the area. We do not see these animals as a problem. However, with curb-side garbage collection they will rapidly become a problem.

2. This area has many part-time residents. They come for week-ends throughout the year. The current system allows them to dispose of their garbage on the week-end. Curb-side collection would, undoubtedly, not be on the week-end which means that garbage will sit beside the road for several days.

3. There are also a few ranches in the area that use the central collection station. How will they be served by curb-side collection?

Curb-side garbage collection may be appropriate for suburban areas with full-time residents. It is not appropriate for a rural area such as ours with many part-time residents. Any garbage disposal system should meet the criteria of being convenient for all the residents, and not attract wild animals into residential areas. I do not see that curb-side collection meets these criteria.

Significant decisions, such as a change in garbage disposal, should take local conditions into consideration and should not be made without consulting local residents.

Our community association is the Lac le Jeune Conservation Society. It will hold an annual general meeting this summer at which time the garbage situation can be discussed. I am forwarding a copy of this letter to the President of the Society, Rick Van Rijn, for his information.

Please reconsider curb-side garbage collection for Walloper Lake and Lac Le Jeune.

Sincerely yours,

Elna Strand

Box 5009

Lac Le Jeune, BC

V1S 1Y8 Tel: 250-314-0647 email: strand@direct.ca