Initially published in the Alliston Herald on August 15, 2008
It was shortly after moving to Alliston in 1999 that I was introduced to the New Tecumseth cultural experience known as "large item pick up". It was quite a sight to see a caravan of vehicles drive through neighborhoods in search of "treasures" being discarded by others. In fact, it was not unusual to have streets picked clean of their large items before arrival of the waste disposal crews.
Over the years I came to appreciate the service as a means to dispose of a variety of items that our family had outgrown. I was therefore disappointed to learn of the decision taken by the County of Simcoe to eliminate the service altogether.
Large item pick up had long been available to each of the 16 municipalities in Simcoe County. However, those municipalities that wanted to take advantage of "trash to treasure" (as it was apparently called in Tottenham) were required to pay for it. Historically, several of the larger municipalities in the county, including New Tecumseth, Bradford and Midland, chose to use and pay for the service whereas many of the smaller townships such as Essa, Ramara and Adjala-Tosorontio, did not.
The "official" explanation from the county is that this action will divert more material from landfill. Unfortunately, the county memorandum outlining this theory is sorely lacking in details, facts or studies as to just how much material, if any, would actually be diverted from the county's six landfills.
Significantly, most items with even a minimal value (i.e. metals, furniture) will be "lifted" during the treasure phase of the process. No matter how much the county may hope, it is not as though the remaining large items, even if diverted from landfill, will make it to the Star Trek vaporizer and forever disappear! They will remain garbage somewhere.
New Tecumseth Counc. Barb Huson surmised that a significant volume will end up in ditches throughout New Tecumseth. Suffice it to say, the visual image of the scenic roads of New Tecumseth littered with urine-stained toilet bowls is hardly enchanting!
How did the residents of New Tecumseth come to be deprived of this valued service? From the cynical perspective, I believe there is an underlying political factor at play.
Politicians tend to be a rather thin skinned and emotionally fragile lot. They don't like to be embarrassed. They don't like to feel inadequate. They especially don't like to answer questions from residents about why they do not have the benefit of a service that their neighbour just down the road, in an adjoining municipality, does.
My view is that an "idea" blossomed among some members of county council (which consists of the mayor and deputy mayor of each of the 16 municipalities) from smaller townships to snuff out large item pick-up altogether. After all, to deprive every municipality of the service would eliminate those unpleasant questions and feelings of inadequacy.
If this was an underlying motive then the actions are reminiscent of those of a petulant child who, when unable to play with the marbles at recess, kicks them away to ensure that no one else can. To deprive some of a service because you choose not to have it, or are unable to afford it, is disgraceful.
On June 24, 2008 the members of Simcoe County council voted, in their wisdom, to eliminate the service. The smaller municipalities largely voted to squash the service. Not unexpectedly, New Tecumseth Mayor Mike MacEachern and Deputy Mayor Rick Milne voted to retain it.
Alas, the next time you want to remove an unwanted large item from that basement, garage or backyard, but are unable to do so without renting or borrowing a truck, you needn't look much further than your neighbouring municipalities as you mutter select expletives.
