Inuvik (Jan 21/05) - The Town of Inuvik will let private enterprise vie for the beverage container depot.

This decision came after a private consultant was hired to work on a proposal that would have seen the depot and any future recycling initiatives partnered with the town's current landfill contract.

"It was an opportunity for (an initiative) we started to become sustainable, with or without us," said former Inuvik Recycling Society president Barb Armstrong.

Armstrong is the wife of Albert Bernhardt, proprietor of AB Salvage, which holds the current landfill contract until August.

For nearly four years, Bernhardt has maintained a depot for recycling bottles, cans, plastic and cardboard at the landfill, with assistance from the recycling society.

In November of last year, Resources Wildlife and Economic Development (RWED) put out a request for proposals (RFP) for a container depot in Inuvik as the first step towards fulfilling the GNWT's recycling mandate.

Shortly afterwards, Armstrong appeared before town council to ask that it, "either support AB Salvage to do it or take it on themselves."

Following Armstrong's presentation and a public works meeting to discuss the matter, council decided to hire Ray Massey - formerly of Raven Recycling in Whitehorse - to come up with a proposal.

However, without GNWT funding to help construct a suitable building away from the landfill, and upon recently hearing that Wrangling River on Distributor Street filed a proposal to operate the depot, council has decided to back away from the deal.

In December, the town requested and received an RFP deadline extension so it could, "examine the matter further."

On Jan. 5, two days before RWED's Jan.7 deadline, council voted against proceeding with its RFP, citing its unwillingness to compete with private business.

"Should we be using tax dollars to compete with other tax payers?" said Mayor Peter Clarkson, who believes the depot would be better off located in town.

"I see benefits of having the depot in town. It's more visible and why should people have to take a cab to drop off their recyclables at the dump?"

When Armstrong received word that the town was backing out of the RFP, she went to work creating a proposal for the depot on behalf of AB Salvage, thus opening another can of worms. If RWED opts to go with AB Salvage's proposal, it would mean constructing a building at the landfill, which is on town land, meaning it would require council approval, as well. For now this matter has been put to the administration committee for further discussion. While council voted last week in favour of a motion stating that it "supported recycling," as far as Armstrong is concerned, these are simply words and not actions.

"This is an opportunity for the municipality to start something that is sustainable and I really don't know what's going to happen now," she said.

Councillor Karen King, who is in favour of Armstrong's plan, says now that a decision has been made regarding the town's RFP position, she will lobby to keep recycling on the town's planning agenda.

"I fought as hard as I could to get the town to follow through (on the RFP)," she said.

"Council is going to do some strategic planning and I want to keep the recycling issue on the table."