Yellowknife (Mar 03/06) - A Yellowknife merchant says she is fed up with people throwing trash into her dumpster and wants City Hall to do something about it.

Reddi-Mart employees Bernadette Jordas (left) and Luz Dee point out a sofa that was dropped off in front of their dumpster, Wednesday morning. The store says the city should do more to protect merchants from illegal dumping. - Mike W. Bryant/NNSL photo

Theresa Olayvar, owner of the Reddi-Mart on Byrne Road, said she's had to lock her dumpster to keep garbage bin-coveting dumpers from using it.

To her chagrin early Wednesday morning, however, someone came by in the middle of the night and dumped a torn-up sofa right in front of it.

Olayvar said city officials told her there is nothing they can do.

She said it was recommended that she clean up the mess and drive it to the dump, but she refuses to do that.

"I'm not going to pay the $5 fee," said Olayvar.

New rules that came into effect Jan. 1 require anyone dropping off refuse at the landfill to pay a $5 tipping fee.

"We're not taking care of the rules for them," said Olayvar.

"It's just a big headache."

It's against the law to dump trash onto someone else's property.

Fines range from $200 to $500.

Greg Kehoe, director of Public Works, said at least one person has been charged for illegal dumping into commercial bins since January.

He said there's not much the city can do to help Olayvar in her particular case, but hopes the dumping charges will send a message they're taking it seriously.

"People have a responsibility not to do illegal dumping in our town," said Kehoe.

"If a commercial person can find identification inside what's been dumped then we will investigate it."

City Councillor Dave McCann suspects the culprits using the Reddi-Mart dumpster are either avoiding a trip to the dump, or are trying to avoid the $1 extra garbage tag fee.

He said the city should find a way to work with merchants to ensure the rules are enforced.

"I'm really not above putting (security) cameras in if we have to," said McCann.

"It's a piece of technology that would probably help us solve the problem."

The question is: who would pay for it? McCann said he's not suggesting it should be a city expense. Olayvar said it's another expense she doesn't want to think about, considering she's already paying $550 a month on her garbage bill.

John Oldfield, owner of Kavanaugh Brothers waste removers, said he expected a fair bit of dumpster pirating after the city changed its garbage rules, but it hasn't happened as much as he thought it would.

"It is happening. There is illegal dumping. Other people are dropping off their garbage in other people's bins," said Oldfield. "But I thought it would be more of an issue."

He thinks Olayvar's garbage issues are coming from apartment dwellers nearby. He said one property manager told him at the end of every month, they have to go around to all their dumpsters and remove piled up furniture.

"That's when people move, at the end of the month," said Oldfield.

"(The property manager) has always had that problem. It's got nothing to do with the new garbage system."