Overflowing garbage bins and litter scattered along the road has become a point of frustration for some Pacific Avenue residents.
Aaron Goodman, who said he contacted Peace Arch News on behalf of his neighbours, said the city is failing to keep up with the amount of garbage on Pacific Avenue between Johnston Road and Fir Street.
“Piles of garbage laying on the street, on sidewalks, and in green areas for weeks and months,” he wrote in an email, which included photographs of the litter.
“The core of the issue is the City is failing to keep pace with the growth in the number of businesses and customers on Pacific Ave., and the garbage they are throwing onto the sidewalk and street.”
In an emailed statement, City of White Rock Mayor Darryl Walker acknowledged there has been an increase in garbage in city containers as more people eat outdoors. He said the city has hired additional garbage crews for the waterfront.
RELATED: Waterfront pandemic issues vex White Rock council
“Please dispose of your garbage and recycling properly, including masks and gloves,” Walker said.
“Please do not use public garbage containers for household or business items, and please take garbage and recycling home for disposal when it’s possible.”
Last month, White Rock council supported a motion from Coun. Christopher Trevelyan to add an extra shift to regular waterfront garbage collection throughout the rest of 2021 and into 2022. The $60,000 cost for the extra shift is to come out of the federal/provincial COVID-19 relief funding to the city.
City administrative officer Guillermo Ferrero, engineering director Jim Gordon and financial services director Colleen Ponzini all said they believed the extra garbage collection would be a legitimate use of the COVID-19 relief funding.
In his motion, Trevelyan noted that much of the extra garbage on the waterfront is due to take-out from restaurants. Current public health orders temporarily prohibit dine-in options, but allow take-out and patio dining.
Surrey ‘plogging’
Wednesday, the City of Surrey encouraged residents to do their part to help clean up the city by ‘plogging.’ Plogging is a trend that combines jogging or walking with picking up litter.
“Plogging is an excellent way for residents to get outside and increase their physical activity, while also giving back to the community,” Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum said in the release.
“So far this year, we have had 112 residents sign up for the 20-minute challenge. I would like to now invite everyone to show your civic pride and try plogging as a fun way to take part in the Love Where You Live Challenge.”
Love Where You Live is Surrey’s beautification and clean-up initiative. To learn more about the program, visit https://www.surrey.ca/activities-parks-recreation/love-where-you-live
