SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Nearly 10 months into the city's new waste collection program residents are still having trouble placing their bins in the correct spot.

A garbage bin on 46 Street is placed where it should be, thanks to the lines painted by the City of Yellowknife in residential cul-de-sacs. - Meagan Leonard/NNSL photo

This is the impetus behind the new u-shaped marks painted on the street in the city's cul-de-sacs.

Last fall, new black garbage bins were delivered to all single-family residences in the city. In order for Kavanaugh Waste Removal's mechanical trucks to pick up the bins, they must be positioned with 0.9 metres clearance on each side and 1.2 metres from a driveway lane. After a few hiccups, most residents have gotten the hang of the bin positioning, but Public Works Director Chris Greencorn says cul-de-sacs have been a problem area.

"People can't figure out where to put their carts," he told Yellowknifer.

Because the radius of most cul-de-sacs is too small for trucks to pick up bins at the end of driveways, containers must be lined up in the centre of the paved area. Residents have been asked to place their cart inside lines painted in the centre of the court prior to 7 a.m. on scheduled garbage days.

"If it's a smaller cul-de-sac then the turning radius of the truck won't allow us to do it (normally)," he explained. "Trucks have to back up and wiggle in to get each bin."

While the new design makes things easier for garbage trucks, residents have a slightly different take on the approach.

Darlene Rehn is a resident of 46th Street - one of the cul-de-sacs off School Draw Avenue - and says the lines make her feel like she is in kindergarten.

"We're being treated like children - like we don't know how to put out our cans," she said. "We're being told what we have to do ... we are catering to them but they are not listening to the people."

She said she is concerned having the bins in the middle of the paved area will be a hazard to cars entering the cul-de-sac at night or impede emergency vehicles from accessing homes.

"Everybody else can put their garbage cans out at night but if we put ours out at night ... nobody can see them if they come into the cul-de-sac," she said. "They become a hazard on the road and a hazard if we have an emergency vehicle (coming)."

It also is difficult for seniors who must drag the heavy containers a significant distance, she said.

"We have to take them out to the middle of the road which can be a problem for seniors having to haul them out, especially in the snow," she said.

Greencorn said garbage collection is a necessary service and the city is working to complete it as conveniently and safely as possible. He urged drivers to be conscious of their surroundings

when bins are out.

"We're trying to do the best we can with the situation we have," he said.

Greencorn said letters were sent out to all residents affected by the new guidelines and the lines have been rolled out over the last few weeks. He hopes people will get the hang of the positioning before the snow flies.

"Hopefully people will develop some muscle memory," he said. "It's our hope people will do it a few times and remember and it will make it easier for winter pickup."

He said the department researched ways the same situation has been handled in other cities with mechanical garbage collection programs and the guidelines seemed to be effective so he is optimistic the same will be true of Yellowknife.

"We're trying to come up with ways to make things easier for residents and at the same time make it easier for garbage collection," he said. "There's always a reason and research into the decisions we make so that's why we did it."

Kavanaugh did not return Yellowknifer phone calls by press time.

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