It Really Stinks...

(ctvtoronto.ca)

So we are into the third week of a strike by Toronto's municipal workers, which includes those who pick up our garbage. And while it does give us a somewhat greater appreciation for those who do the job, it's hard to comprehend why they would go on strike when everyone is experiencing the effects of a recession.

It also helps to give us a greater appreciation for the cooler-than-usual summer we are having, although I do get whiffs of my next-door neighbour's garbage once-in-a-while. She keeps it at the side of her house which happens to be only a few feet away from the window I am sitting in front of right now.

We've only had to deliver our garbage once, so far, to the local temporary dump. It was a better experience that we had anticipated.

This was the view as we drove up to the dump two weeks ago (we could smell it before we saw it) - can't imagine what it will look like when we head out there again this week; that is if it is still even open:

We have heard and read horror stories about what it's like at some of the dumps -- much heckling and fighting between neighbourhood residents and the strikers, who, of course, are there in abundance. I think if I lived next to a park being used as a temporary dump I'd be pretty upset too.

But at 'our' dump, the strikers were very civilized, even helping us lift the garbage out of the car trunk and throwing it in the truck which takes it about 50 yards over to the pile. In front of us was an elderly couple, and the strikers even told them not to get out of the car, and took care of their trash for them.

We actually met the man who picks up our garbage (we recognized him by his hat!) and DOTH had quite a nice conversation with him. Above, a driver backs his car up to the gate to drop off his trash as strikers mill around. This is the traffic heading towards the dump as we were leaving.

All in all, it took us about 20 minutes -- we were grateful.

There are 19 temporary dumping sites in parks, parking lots and a hockey rink. The strike has not only shut down parks, but also local swimming pools, day-care centers and golf courses. (ctvtoronto.ca)

Two of the temporary garbage sites, at Christie Pits and the York Mills arena, are already filled to overflowing and have been closed. At the Christie Pits site the garbage is stacked about two meters high and fills an entire outdoor hockey arena.

Interestingly, Toronto’s recent Canada Day celebrations (a parade and firework display for Canada’s 142nd birthday) were cancelled, but the Gay Pride parade proceeded, and the government paid for private companies to remove all the garbage:

About 100 non-union staff from the city, working with private contractors, helped clean up after the annual (Gay Pride) parade, which usually draws a million people to watch. (CTV.ca)

I think THAT stinks!