SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - The first cell in the three-cell salvaging system at the Yellowknife landfill opened Tuesday, after more than a year of delays.

Walt Humphries, an avid salvager, visited the landfill to check out the new three-cell salvaging system on Tuesday, its opening day. He thinks the red garbage bins on the way to the salvaging area will limit the items that are available for salvaging. - Kira Curtis/NNSL photo

Despite the wait, there wasn't a grand opening.

"We'll wait for it to be a little bit more weather friendly," said Mayor Gord Van Tighem.

The city has been promising a more organized salvaging area since the September 2009 dump fire that put a stop to salvaging for six months.

The new site, which replaces the temporary area that opened in March 2010, is a "recycling loop" with a three-cell salvaging system at the end, said the mayor.

The city opened one cell only, giving landfill workers an opportunity to determine how long it will take for a cell to fill, said Van Tighem.

The cells will be rotated out as they fill, giving salvagers at least a couple of weeks to look through each area before they are emptied.

To access the salvaging area, dump visitors will drive through the "loop," first passing two red garbage bins that are off-limits to salvagers and then the old salvaging site.

Walt Humphries, Yellowknifer's Tales from the Dump columnist and an avid salvager, said although "we'll have to wait and see" what comes of the new system, he thinks the positioning of the red bins will stop people from dropping off salvageable items in the new salvaging site.

"Personally I'm afraid it (the three-cell system) is going to just create more confusion," he said.

Van Tighem acknowledged there is a possibility people will drop off all of their waste, whether it's salvageable or not, in the red bins, but it will just take some education to stop that behaviour.

So the city will have someone working on site during salvaging hours to help guide residents through the procedure.

"We call them the Wal-Mart greeter of the solid waste facility," Van Tighem said with a laugh.

Instructions will also be given at the guard gate to avoid any confusion between the old and new salvaging sites.

More signs, which will ensure people know where things go, are also on order, said Chris Greencorn, manager of public works.

The city has given many reasons why the three-cell system took so long to come to fruition - the last being it was waiting on signs that were supposed to arrive in November.

Before that there were issues with contractors being out of town or busy with other projects.

"It's been a challenge," said Van Tighem, pointing out the city was also trying to complete the project in the most cost-efficient way.

The new system required the construction of a retaining wall, the installation of fencing, concrete and signage and the levelling of the ground.

In the 2008 budget, the project was budgeted at $150,000. An additional $138,000 was set aside for the three-cell system in 2009, and $12,000 being spent in 2010.

The new system is intended to keep the process more organized and safe for salvagers by separating waste from salvageable items.

Salvaging hours at the dump will remain on the winter schedule - Monday to Friday 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.