'Light at the end of the tunnel': Regina city council to address litter problem

Medical litter along Ring Road can be seen in this file photo.

Regina city council held a special meeting on Thursday morning to discuss the Clean Communities Motion which looks at options for litter pick up and enforcement.

Councillors Andrew Stevens and Dan LeBlanc originally put forward a motion to look into the issue of garbage around the city.

Some residents who are addressing city council on the matter said it’s time for something to be done.

“Perhaps there will be a light at the end of the tunnel for citizens such as myself, who have been shouldered for years with using the service request system on our own time, with many repeat follow ups and re-reporting of the same properties,” Orion Paradis, a Heritage neighbourhood resident, wrote in her address to council. “When I go into the alley, this goes from a problem I can solve with a little elbow grease as I collect stray items into my bin, into a major dump disaster with multiple bins dumped.”

Rachel and Brad Wolbaum, who have lived in the Heritage neighbourhood for more than 20 years, said litter has always been a concern in their area but it’s become more prevalent over the past several years.

They said a nearby property, used as a rental home, sees new tenants every six months and said it is “becoming a dumping ground for people in the neighbourhood.”

City administration is recommending that council vote to continue offering the same level of solid waste service to all residents of the city, while also increasing enforcement of the Waste Management Bylaw.

Council was forced to cancel the rest of its meeting due to technichal difficulties, the remainder of the agenda was tabled until Wednesday, April 20.