Regina daycare upset about biweekly garbage pickup schedule

A local daycare provider is hoping the City of Regina will throw its latest cost-saving measure in the trash.

Ashley Longworth runs a daycare out of her home and believes moving winter garbage collection to a biweekly schedule will cause her bins to overflow with things like dirty diapers.

“My garbage bin is right behind my play structure, and that’s where we’re out all the time — in the backyard. I don’t want it to smell,” she said.

When it comes to the amount of garbage generated by her home business and family, she said sometimes weekly pickup isn’t enough.

Now, Longworth is asking the city to reconsider the extra week during the winter.

“It’s going to affect a lot of people in more than one way, and I think they’re going to see it’s going to be a big mess,” she said, adding that larger families could also be impacted.

Since the grants-in-lieu program was axed after the provincial budget in March, the city has been looking at ways to cut spending.

Shifting to a wintertime biweekly schedule is expected to save about $132,000 in fuel and labour costs.

Longworth said she understands that the city needs to find ways to save money, but believes they should look elsewhere to do so.

Earlier this month, Mayor Michael Fougere told the 980 CJME Morning Show that, while the change is to make up for this year’s budget shortfall, the city might continue with it every winter.

A report outlining the new biweekly garbage schedule will be discussed at city council on Monday. Should the proposal be passed, it would come into effect this November until spring of next year.