Addington Highlands Looking To Establish 'Stash The Trash' Or Similar Program

Craig Bakay | May 26, 2021

They’re still looking for a name for the program, but a roadside waste plan presented by Dep. Reeve Tony Fritsch and Manager of Roads and Waste Brett Reavie drew rave reviews at Addington Highlands regular (online) Council meeting Tuesday.

“I was approached by two different families in two different areas recently,” Fritsch said. “Asking if we had some sort of community-based program to clean up areas where garbage is dumped illegally.

“We felt we should embrace and support these individuals and others like them in the future, who want to help our community.”

So, Fritsch and Reavie put their heads together, did a little research and came up with the Community Stewardship Program, a program where anybody who wants to volunteer and invest time in picking up garbage and recyclables along municipal roads or road allowances, Crown Land road or at parks or beaches can do so without any fees at Township waste sites.

“Many other municipalities have programs but it’s really a some-do-some-don’t thing,” Fritsch said. “Some call it Stash the Trash or Green Stewardship Program but essentially it’s a volunteer-based program with a lot of benefits and very little cost.”

The basics are that it will cover the entire municipality, anyone can do it. You can use your own bags but litter has to be a Township log bag, which the Township is prepared to provide. The Township is also prepared to arrange for pickup if contacted prior to the collection. There is no requirement to separate recycling from garbage if the volunteers want to and can safely do so, it would be appreciated.

Reavie noted that the Ministry of Transport has programs to clean Hwy 41 as well as Adopt-A-Road programs.

“But if somebody wants to clean up a provincial highway, we’re certainly not going to stop them,” said Reeve Henry Hogg.

“In any way we can assist them, I think we should,” said Coun. Helen Yanch.

“The least we can do is provide them with what they need . . . and a dump,” said Coun. David Miles. “I’m not saying this is a concern but is there a liability factor involved?”

“No matter how you slice it, we bear some liability,” said Fritsch. “But we’ll have to come up with some safety guidelines like asking people not to go down a 50-foot embankment to pick up a 5-gallon pail.

“We’ll need a formal policy, but for now, staff can approve this on a case-by-case basis.”

Dusty Roads

Manager of Roads and Waste Brett Reavie said it’s been a “good spring” for his department but it is starting to get dusty. But, he said, dust suppressant won’t be applied until June 20.

He also said that masks are not mandatory at waste sites, as requested by the Community Control Group, which held its 38th meeting May 13.

“I’ve also been asked to sit in with the County and Loyalist Township on a meeting for bringing electric (car) charging stations in the area,” he said.

Surveying along Hwy. 41

Coun. Helen Yanch said a lot of people have been asking her about the surveying going on along Hwy 41 and asked if anybody knew anything about it.

“I’ve got a stake in my front yard,” said Reeve Henry Hogg. “They told me they’re ‘just monitoring’ whatever that means.”

“They were doing that in the north end last year for potential divesting of property they no longer need,” said Dep. Reeve Tony Fritsch.

“It’s either that or they’re going to be twinning 41,” joked Hogg.

“Four lanes to Cloyne,” joked Fritsch.