Some stratas in the Village of Radium Hot Springs are without dumpsters, and tourists often have a vacation’s-worth of garbage to dump by the end of the week, so at the regular council meeting on Wednesday, July 23rd, Radium council flirted with the idea of arranging a weekly garbage bin service. Should it come into effect, the service would allow anybody to access a dumpster for one day of the week, but no firm details — such as location and times — were yet decided upon.
The concern was raised as some businesses have complained about garbage that they didn’t produce filling up their dumpsters.
“We’re not sure if we’re chasing down a couple of complaints or if it’s a common problem amongst everyone in Radium,” said councillor Ron Verboom.
In order for the village to get a better idea of the scope of the problem, residents will be surveyed on the topic later on, an initiative that has been left in the hands of village staff who will decide how to reach out. Worried that providing a regular service could run amok, Verboom believes an awareness campaign may be the best solution, by advertising to the public the location of the transfer station located on Highway 95, ten kilometres north of Radium.
“The problem is, once you provide a service like that, people will become used to it being there and they’ll all just leave any type of garbage,” he said. “And inherent with that type of system, people would leave any type of garbage — things that are unsightly; mattresses, old TVs.”
Mayor Dee Conklin cited the Fairmont Hot Springs transfer station (as pictured in the July 25th issue of The Pioneer) as a worry of what could happen.
“But this is an issue that will likely be handled by the next council,” she said.
Signs
Two new signs have been erected on Main Street to welcome motorists entering Radium, which Mr. Verboom commended, but he would like to see both sides utilized. A suggestion by chief administrative officer Mark Read for a mural to fill the void was well received.
Another new welcome sign is situated on the eastern limits to greet motorists travelling through Kootenay National Park, featuring interchangeable lettering to promote what’s currently going on in Radium.
Visitors’ Centre
Wendy Booth, Area F director for the Regional District of East Kootenay, made a pitch at the beginning of the meeting to streamline visitor centres throughout the valley. Her vision is for one or two centres to represent all of the valley, rather than having many municipalities fund their own visitor service. No decisions were made on the issue, but Booth’s proposal seemed to be well-received.
“Everybody for many years has talked about trying to get sustainable funding for the visitors’ centre,” said Conklin.
She said details still need to be ironed out, but believes that Booth’s proposal will receive support in Radium.
