(Submitted)

By Rick Conrad

Region of Queens councillors want a long-term fix to garbage pileups in Queens County cottage country.

District 6 Coun. David Brown says it’s a huge problem. He asked staff for recommendations on how to resolve it.

He said the 40 so-called “grey box” sites on private roads throughout the county consume half of the region’s garbage collection budget. Brown said the problem is more pronounced this time of year because the region picks up the garbage once a week, compared to three times a week in summer.

“Our population has outgrown the garbage box system,” he said. 

“We’ve Band-Aided the system together and done a great job. But we’re victims of our own success by having a very popular area that people want to come to. We have a lot of people coming with garbage.

“It’s not completely a region problem, it’s a people problem. … There are people that are just too lazy to put the garbage in the boxes.”

Brown said some people truck in waste from other places when they arrive at their properties for the weekend.

He said the municipality doesn’t have the staff resources to police these areas. And while they’ve posted cameras, the problem persists.

“We need staff to look at this and come back with possible solutions for a long-term fix for this,” he told councillors.

Garbage piled up at one of the ‘grey box’ sites in Queens County. (Submitted)

Mayor Darlene Norman said the Molega Lake and Labelle areas have had the region’s highest housing growth of both full-time and seasonal residents.

And those properties represent a large chunk of tax revenue for the municipality. But they tend to be on private roads, so garbage collection is only at designated places on public roads.

“It is a huge problem. And people in Labelle and Molega area, some people are paying $10,000 property tax out there for no services. It is an issue that has to be dealt with.” 

She acknowledges it may cost the municipality more, but she said cottage owners and homeowners in those areas deserve better.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Photo Ed Halverson

Region of Queens council were on the road at the fire hall in Port Medway for their latest meeting.

Council gave the go ahead on a plan to build a “Lost at Sea Memorial” in Fort Point Park.

Councillors offered broad support for the project but took note of staff recommendations to avoid underground infrastructure on the site and to place the monument without disturbing existing trees.

Following a discussion, a motion will come before council at a future meeting to spend up to $12,000 for leadership training to provide better coordination between the five fire departments and the municipality.*

The training comes at the request of the five department chiefs and the money will be spent on a facilitator to provide the training.

A request has also been extended from the Emergencies Measures officer to neighbouring municipalities to enter into a mutual aid agreement in the event of severe storms or other large-scale emergencies.

Queens currently has an agreement in place with Shelburne and would like to include the municipalities in Lunenburg County as well.

The second quarter budget update shows deed transfers are already above budgeted expectations.

It appears land sales, particularly in the Molega Lake area are driving the increase.

The municipality is spending more for waste collection as fuel surcharges are averaging $8,000 – $10,000 more per month due to the high price at the pumps.

Mayor Darlene Norman added an item to the agenda requesting council permission to send a letter to the province voicing opposition to any expansion of fish farms in Queens.

Norman is concerned untreated fecal matter from farms will pollute the shallow bays in which they are located damaging the environment and negatively impacting other industries, most notably, the lobster fishery.

“I would sincerely hope that the provincial government recognizes and somehow finds a way to simply state, this province is not a suitable place, in our coastal bays, to be growing salmon”

Finally, council approved a motion that came from in-camera to sell four small parcels of land to the Queens Care Society around the Lawrence and Brunswick Street area of Liverpool.

The aim is to use the use the land to provide affordable, co-op housing.

The plan will come to a public hearing at the council meeting on November 22.

Council will hold their next meeting back in council chambers at 9:00am November 8.

* A previous version of the story indicated council had approved spending $12,000 for leadership training of the fire chiefs. The story has been edited to reflect a discussion was had and the motion will come before council at a future meeting.

E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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