Jessica Gray
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Jan 11/06) - A broken stove lies in pieces in Rotary Park; ravens probe fast food wrappers on 50th Street; cigarette butts collect in drifts outside bars.

Whether it's illegal dumping, litter, or the city's new solid waste bylaws, trash is the talk of the town according to Yellowknifers.

A dumpster behind a downtown apartment building overflows onto the street. - Jessica Gray/NNSL photo

"Illegal dumping is always a concern," says Greg Kehoe, director of Public Works for Yellowknife, but it's not a source of stress for city managers or bylaw enforcement officers.

"It's happened over the last few years and will probably happen over the next few years."

Yellowknifer first noticed the stove at the park on Monday, and city officials were unaware it was there until contacted by a reporter.

Daryle Foster, supervisory constable for the Municipal Enforcement Division, says eight tickets for illegal dumping were issued in the last four months, resulting in fines of $100 to $200.

City council is less accepting of the status quo and last spring took steps to discourage littering.

Coun. David McCann recommended creation of a committee to address the litter problem.

Although city bylaws provide for a fine of up to $500 for repeated for littering,

some people still don't connect dropping a candy wrapper and the city's trash problem,he says.

"People, plain and simple, don't care," says 43-year-old Philip Murray.

Kitori Bodaruk, 15, says people learn that littering is OK at home.

"It's the way people are brought up."

The problem is laziness, says Paul McMullen from Mix 100.

"There's too many people throwing garbage around. They're lazy and they don't care."

Brian Latham chairs the Get Yellowknife Clean Committee created last spring to combat litter.

The committee's survey of Yellowknifers surprised Latham with a finding that 22 per cent of the 63 people who responded who didn't know there was an anti-litter campaign in progress.

Results from the survey showed people found the most litter downtown, and that most of the litter consists of drink containers and broken glass.

The most popular solutions to the included more garbage cans and enforcing the litter bylaws. They also wanted more public education about littering and the harm it causes.

The Get Yellowknife Clean Committee will present its report to city council in early February, says Latham.

While this a concern for citizens at large, businesses that depend on tourists say littering gives the city a poor reputation.

"One customer asked me, 'What's wrong with this city?'" says a bed and breakfast owner, who wished to remain nameless.

Deleigh Rausch has been working at the Yellowknife Visitor's Centre for almost five years.

She's never received a direct complaint from visitors, but says that a litter-filled city is a definite turn off.

Some businesses have taken it upon themselves to address litter in their block. Cheryl Principe of the Yellowknife Inn says, "We have maintenance people who keep the area around us clean."

Litter isn't the only garbage issue in Yellowknife. A new solid waste bylaw came into force with the new year. Residences are only allowed three bags of garbage. Each additional bag must have a tag attached.

John Olbfield, owner of Kavanaugh Bros. Waste Removal Services, says the company issued more than 800 warnings among the 4,600 residences they serviced last week. "Every program has growing pains. I think in three to four months everything will be worked out."

He says he's had people in his office who threaten to dump their garbage at the side of the road or in ditches. "I would hope that we have more community pride than that."