Yellowknife (Jun 02/06) - Two deep freezers, three oil drums, a junked snowmobile, a smashed-in television set, two washing machines, a dryer, a rusty, broken down stove - the list went on and on, and that was only what was visible from the road.

Long-time resident Peter Pagonis can only shake his head while surveying a collection of illegally dumped stoves, freezers and television sets near Giant Mine. - Mike W. Bryant/NNSL photo Tipping fees before and after July 1, 2005: Domestic vehicles: $100 each ($25 previously) Oil tanks: $100 (no change) White goods (appliances): $35/fridge; $10/all other appliances (no charge previously) Automotive batteries: $4/battery (no charge previously) Tires (without rims):$4 less than 20 inches; $8 between 20 and 48 inches (no charge previously) Residents hauling trash to the dump: $5 (no charge previously)

"That oil tank, that wasn't here yesterday," said long-time Yellowknife resident Peter Pagonis, pointing to yet another flagrant example of illegal dumping.

"That would cost you $100 to take to the dump."

Except this wasn't the dump - not officially, anyway. This was a few hundred meters away on a small, hard to see access road on the left-hand side of the Ingraham Trail between the dump and Giant Mine.

Pagonis first noticed something was amiss when he ventured to the spot last winter, searching for a quiet area to view the Northern Lights. Instead, he found a junk heap growing seemingly larger by the day.

"That's new. That wasn't here yesterday," said Pagonis, pointing to an abandoned fridge.

To toss it here costs nothing. Taking it to the dump for disposal costs $35.

Illegal dumping is nothing new, but Pagonis said he has never seen anything like it this year, and the problem is not just on this one little road. He is noticing "secret dumps" popping up all along the Ingraham Trail.

He blames city council's decision last year to hike dump tipping fees - some by 200 per cent - for the rash of trash clogging up hidden side roads around the city.

Before the new rates took effect July 1, 2005, white appliance items like stoves, washing machines and fridges didn't cost residents anything to take to the dump, but now, unless one is going merely to scavenge, a trip there costs $5 at the very minimum.

Last year, city officials said the tipping fees were necessary because the solid waste fund was heading towards a $130,000 deficit, and the amount of garbage going into the dump had increased by 30 per cent since 2001. The hope was to increase the tipping revenue to $300,000 this year from $180,000 a year previously.

But Pagonis said the tipping fees are likely too rich for some people.

"What's the difference? It's going to cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars to clean up all this mess anyway," said Pagonis.

"Something has got to give with the city."

Greg Kehoe, director of Public Works, acknowledged that the city will likely have to clean up Pagonis' latest trash find - at a cost to ratepayers - but said the city is making attempts to curb illegal dumping.

"We're going to continue to remind people that it's illegal to do illegal dumping, and we're going to continue enforcement of it," said Kehoe.

He said a number of people have been caught dumping in recent months, and charges have been laid. The maximum fine is $600.

His department is investigating the illegal dump near Giant Mine, said Kehoe.

He couldn't say whether the number of tipping fee items going into the dump, such as fridges and stoves, have gone up or down since the new fees came into effect, but said people certainly took advantage of the city's free large-item pick-up service last month.

"The increase went from 100 pick-ups last year to approximately 500 pick-ups this year," said Kehoe.

"It stretched the resources of the city at this time."

The free pick-up, however, wasn't extended to tipping fee items, but rather furniture and TVs and the like, which only cost $5 to dump.

City Coun. Mark Heyck said he suspects people dumping off their old appliances in the bush aren't doing it because they can't afford to bring them to the dump, but because they don't care if they're making a mess.

"I think most people are reasonable," said Heyck.

"I think the people who would dump illegally, they wouldn't necessarily do it because a tipping fee was imposed. Those people are just generally lazy so-and-so's that would go dump their stuff on the Ingraham Trail anyway."