Updated: Tuesday, Oct. 24
According to the Ministry of Transportation, the maintenance contractor has been notified of the issue.
“Our maintenance contractor, Argo Road Maintenance, is responsible for the cleaning and care of garbage and debris on the road surface, as well as pull outs and rest areas on the highway network,” said Danielle Pope of the ministry.
Original:
With garbage overflowing on the Lake Country’s Pelmewash Parkway, residents are being forced to take the garbage out.
“The whole length of roadway along Pelmewash Parkway beside Wood Lake. There’s tons of litter on the side of the road, from plastic bags and containers,” said Lake Country resident Shannen Beckinsale.
“There is one garbage can on one of the pull-outs, but it’s overflowing. It’s really gross and it’s really sad because it’s all going to ultimately end up in Wood Lake,” she said.
She posted her concerns in a Facebook page a few days ago, asking the community for support to clean up the road.
She sent an email to the district on Tuesday but hasn’t heard anything back, she said.
Beckinsale is hoping to organize a community cleanup along the road.
“I would like it to be an annual thing,” she said. “But it’s hard to get people available to volunteer their time.”
The comments she received on her post have been positive she said, and one Facebook member offered their truck and free access to the dump.
According to District of Lake Country road superintendent Aron Chatten, the road lies under ministry jurisdiction until the end of August, 2018.
Beforehand however, the district is aware of illegal dumping along the parkway and there are plans to implement more trash receptacles along the road.
The district has also been working with the ministry to improve the road with traffic calming sections.
Construction will be starting in the spring and early summer, to improve the road and by the end of summer the initial phase will be completed, he said.
In the meantime, the road is monitored by the ministry’s maintenance contractor, he said.
