Wrecking Ball II: Civic Election 2010: The State of Our City

Not satisfied with the theatrics of the Sam and Judy show to date?

Winnipeg writers, actors, and directors are leaping to the stage for a one-night only event of piping hot political theatre, as Wrecking Ball II swings into action! 

Check it out on Monday, October 25, at Prairie Theatre Exchange, Unit Y300 – 393 Portage Avenue, from 8:00 p. m. to 10:00 p. m.

Pay What You Can at the Door!

Will our writers come up with a second idea for Judy’s 2% campaign? 

Will “The Buck Stops Here” Sam be handed yet more names to blame for his every shortcoming? 

Do our crystal ball gazers see us actually riding a dedicated busway, bike routes free of protesters, dizzy from traffic circles, or do we all end up with a police chopper in every port?

A hand-picked draft of playwrights, including Bruce McManus, Sarah Constible, Al Rae, Debbie Patterson and Jane Testar, will create brief plays inspired by the civic election. 

The Wrecking Ball’s only goal is to challenge and provoke. 

All the plays will be no more than a week old, so you know the theatre’s gonna smell fresh!

Proceeds will support the future Winnipeg Performing Arts Lodge, a retirement community now in the planning stages for Manitoba musicians, dancers, actors, playwrights, and directors.

Have a great day. How can you miss - you're in Winnipeg!

Sam Katz's Caper: The West End Takes Back the Streets - by Margaret Ullrich

A month ago, on September 21, the 'Grandmothers Protecting Our Children Sacred Walk' took place at the Forks.  

On September 30 there was another 'Take Back the Night' march.  It was called Shine a Light.

How many walks do we need before everyone - men, women and children - is safe on a Winnipeg street?

On Tuesday, June 1, Winnipeggers living in the West End are going on a public march against violence.

The march will start at 6:00 p. m. at the Maryland Tot Lot, next to the Magnus Eliason Recreation Centre, and will proceed down Agnes, Toronto and Victor streets.     

About 65 people had gathered at the West End Cultural Centre on Friday afternoon.  The meeting was held in response to the rape of the 6-year-old girl and the shooting of 4 children.  One child has died.  The shootings had happened on Toronto and Victor Streets.

"These are extreme events and folks are worried about their safety," said Kate Sjoberg, Spence Neighbourhood Association executive director.

"We've been pushing for increased programming and increased programming hours at the Magnus Eliason Recreation Centre, and throughout the community for some time, and we haven't been able to get increased city support for this work."

Public health nurses, local school staff and police officers were also present at the meeting.

(Originally posted May 30, 2010)

  

Have a great day.  How can you miss - you're in Winnipeg!

Sam Katz's Caper: Thrice Trashed - by Margaret Ullrich

Sadly, things have only gotten worse.  Think this can't touch you?  Know anybody who goes to the University of Winnipeg, the downtown Bay, Portage Place, the Health Science Centre...

Things are calming down, garbage-wise.  Crime-wise is a whole other matter.

The violence in the West End is on everybody's mind.  A quick recap: on Sunday night a 6-year-old girl was raped on Langside Street.  She'd been playing with her brothers in a park when a 34-year-old man who has a record approached her.  Then on Tuesday on Toronto Street a 16-year-old was killed and a 13-year-old was shot in the leg.  On Wednesday an 8-year-old girl and a 10-year-old girl were shot through the window of their home on Victor Street, a few blocks from Langside, by a 14-year-old.  That's 4 kids shot in 48 hours.

For 4 days garbage was in the air in northwest Winnipeg.  I don't know... maybe Sam and his buddies had gotten a deal on gas for garbage trucks.  Something had made them decide to lump 3 big garbage occasions here for our waste removing pleasure.

First there was Giveaway Weekend.  This caused a few hassles because folks had deliveries from places like Home Depot.  Stacks of concrete blocks were on the walkways.  They were too heavy to move.  Signs were plastered on them saying "Don't touch" and kids were assigned to guard them.  Fun, eh?

On Monday we had our regular garbage pickup.  The next day we had the special, 'we're being so helpful' yard waste pickup.  That was a joke.  The truck just whizzed through.  Nobody had the time to hunt down the special bags that were required.

That was nothing compared to what was going on just a little ways from us.

The Mayor says it's up to the Federal Government to look into the Criminal Code.  Young people know how to play the game.  Younger kids are recruited by gangs since they know the system just slaps them on the wrist.

What excuse does the Mayor have for that 34-year-old?

Premiere Selinger says his methods are effective.  He also said the province will work with the city to provide after-school options.  No details on when or how.  

The provincial Conservatives blame Selinger.  They want officers focusing on gangs.  The police say it's intergenerational.  Kids are growing up in a 'culture of crime'.  What the hell does that mean?  It's a culture, like being Swedish?  They should put on a show during Folklorama?  

The police seize guns every week.  But, in the growing criminal and drug 'culture', there are just more guns on the street than ever.  Since January they've taken 400 guns off the street.  The police are not planning on doing another Clean Sweep.  They've added 13 officers to Winnipeg streets and they're looking forward to getting a helicopter in the Fall. 

Youth mentoring programs have helped.  Rossbrook House is an example of what can be done to get kids off the streets.  The Aboriginal community wants youth programming, but the funding keeps getting cut.  Apparently the government thinks it's more cost effective to hunt down and arrest kids after they've killed somebody.

A former gang member wants people to stop dwelling on what happened in the past and to start taking responsibility for their kids now.

People want more police presence, something for kids to do and for Parliament to get tough on crime.  

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

(Originally posted May 29, 2010)

Have a great day.  How can you miss - you're in Winnipeg!

Sam Katz's Caper: One Lousy Foot - by Margaret Ullrich

I haven't done this much Math since I was in school.  

Don't ask what happened to the boulevard clippings this summer...

Our neighborhood is that modern mess of bays and coves, designed to discourage people from racing through.  They also confuse anyone trying to find an address.  In these rabbit warrens there are quite a few corner lots.

The City of Winnipeg takes care of boulevards if they are 18 feet deep.  Fully aware of this loophole, the planners made damn sure we had 17 foot boulevards.  So it's up to the saps who live on corner lots to take care of public property at no cost to other taxpayers.  There aren't sidewalks so it's just grass.

Okay, let's look at the numbers: 

A corner lot measures 100 feet by 35 feet.  That's the little corner of heaven that was bought.  That's what gets taxed.  

Then there's the boulevard.  Along the length there's an extra bit of grass, 17 feet by 117 feet.  Let's not forget the frontage - another 17 feet by 35 feet.  Let's not think about the extra watering, fertilizing, etc.

In the spirit of 'Take Pride, Winnipeg' everybody does his bit.  

We had an early spring.  Most of the thatch was raked by April 4.  Folks were working off the Easter dinner.  It was a nice day and Winnipeggers love to get a jump on spring activities.  A composter can only hold so much.  That thatch filled a hell of a lot of bags.  

City Hall thought they were being so helpful when they 'gave' citizens 4 yard waste collection days a year.

What the hell are we supposed to do with the boulevard clippings in June, July and August?

(Originally posted May 7, 2010)    

Have a great day.  How can you miss - you're in Winnipeg!

Sam Katz's Caper: Double, Double, Toil and Trouble - by Margaret Ullrich

Well, this was timely.

We'll have our "Biweekly Fall Yard Waste Collection" next week.  

This new system is not so hot, Spring or Fall...

This week we had 2 garbage pickups.  

On Monday there were our usual visits by the garbage and recycling fellows.  That seems to be falling into place.  They are now picking up garbage from both sides of the back lanes.  Our neighbors appreciate not being walled in by our trash.  Neighborliness only goes so far.  Then, on Tuesday, we had our first of the "Biweekly Spring and Fall Yard Waste Collection".

I am unimpressed by the new and improved system.

Contrary to their opinion of themselves, our city officials aren't that powerful.  They can't control the weather or when people do house chores.  

First the yard-waste disposal programs were not running the first week of April, when people had bags of yard waste.  On top of that the St. James Civic Centre was permanently closed as a drop-off site, now that we're stuck with rolling garbage bins.  Then the city officials decided the curbside yard-waste collection would be on May 4 and 18.  Then there was the threat of a garbage strike.

What's a homeowner to do?

Rotting leaves and thatch stinks.  Garbage bags don't add to the decor.  Folks did not want to be left holding the bags, so they got rid of them as best and as soon as they could.

I walked around the neighborhood early on May 4.  I saw a few regular plastic garbage bags - which wouldn't get picked up - and 6 of the approved paper yard waste bags.  They were bought at Costco.  You have to be a member to shop there.  Regular stores don't have the damn bags.  The CBC went looking for them.

It was not worth the trip for the Yard Waste Collection trucks.

And they are coming back on May 18.

What the hell for?

(Originally posted May 6, 2010)

Have a great day.  How can you miss - you're in Winnipeg!

Sam Katz's Caper: I Smell A Rat - by Margaret Ullrich

Maybe our politicians live way up in the sky, in apartments.  Maybe they just don't have to smell the ...., like the rest of us.

There's talk of a garbage strike in Winnipeg.  

In our city officials' infinite wisdom, the total responsibility for residential garbage pickup in the entire city of Winnipeg was given to BFI.  

On Thursday night the 115 members of Teamsters Local No. 979 voted 94 percent in favor of going on strike.  They've been working without a contract since last November.  Talks with BFI had broken off earlier this month.

When total control was given to BFI, did anyone think to see how things were going with their workers before the garbage collection system - particularly in northwest Winnipeg in February - was changed?

I just love the way the media is making a fuss about what we'll be smelling.  We've had an early spring, and it looks like it'll be a long hot summer.  Garbage and heat equals stink, no doubt about it.

Hey, fellow citizens, I'm originally from New York.  I've been through garbage strikes.  

Big time.  

I'm not worried about the smell.

I'm worried about a 4 letter word.

RATS.

Yes, rats love garbage.  It's their favorite thing.  And they ain't shy about coming into any neighborhood, including the south side of Winnipeg, and helping themselves to whatever's available.

We're surrounded by acres of fields.  Fields of wheat.  Fields of corn.  Fields of varmints that are going to come to Winnipeg for easy meals.

  

Rotting piles of garbage do wonders for a city's image.  They'll be something everyone who's been talked into coming to Winnipeg for that 2010 Homecoming is going to remember.  And tell others about.

The job of garbage collection used to be shared by private contractors and city employees, who never went on strike.  In 2005, Winnipeg gave the whole job to BFI.

Three weeks after we got stuck with BFI's rolling garbage carts, the chairman of the public works committee was saying the plan was a mistake.

Yah think?

(Originally posted April 26, 2010)  

Have a great day.  How can you miss - you're in Winnipeg!

Sam Katz's Caper: A Cosmic Convergence - by Margaret Ullrich

There has to be an easier way.  Oh, wait.  We used to have an easier way...

Okay... it wasn't exactly a cosmic convergence.

But, it was close.

Last Sunday the street cleaning signs went up.  Wonderful!  Most of us had done our thatch raking.  Along with the thatch, a heck of a lot of sand, dirt and junk had been raked off our lawns.  The garbage was thrown, along with the thatch, into bags.  But sand and dirt sifted through the dry grass and added to the general dustiness on the street.  It's been awfully dry this April. 

So, we were looking forward to having the streets cleaned.

But, wouldn't you know, when it rains, it pours.

On Monday, April 19, along with the hoser and sweeper trucks, the recycling trucks and the super duper garbage trucks were due.  And, starting on April 19, we were going to have garbage collection on both sides of our back lanes.  That meant 2 trips through each of our lanes. 

One big carbon footprint, all in the name of cleanliness.

On Monday, around 10:00 a. m., a hoser and its partner sweeper truck parked on our corner.  The fellows stepped out, stretched their legs, looked over a few papers, then left.   

At 11:00 a. m., they returned, along with 2 other sets of trucks.  They really zipped through our bays and streets.  Our tax dollars in action.  Hurrah!!

We were used to the new schedule: 12:30 garbage pickup, drag the honking big cart back into the garage, 1:30 recycling pickup, bring in the blue box.  We didn't want to leave the carts out, exposed to the dangers listed in the brochure.  We expected the garbage truck at 12:30 p. m. as in other weeks.  But, not this week.

At 1:00 the recycling truck barreled through the neighborhood.  Where was the garbage truck?  We waited.  We wondered.  We worried.  Finally, at 3:30, one side of our back lane was garbage-free.  Then, at 4:00, our side was, too.      

We have a new routine.  Wonder how long this one will last?

(Originally posted April 24, 2010)

Have a great day.  How can you miss - you're in Winnipeg!

Sam Katz's Caper: Biweekly Doesn't Mean Biweekly - by Margaret Ullrich

Must do yard work.  NOW.  Trudeau had said the government had no business in our bedrooms.  Wish the government would stay out of our gardens, too...

Got another note from my new penpals at the Water and Waste Department.

There are going to be three changes:

Starting April 19, backlane garbage will be picked up from both sides of the lane.

We can buy a second cart, a larger cart or two larger carts.  Plan ahead - there are no refunds if your 20-year-old triplets move out, taking their garbage with them.

There's going to be Biweekly Spring and Fall Yard Waste Collection on May 4 and 18 and also on October 4 and 19.

According to my dictionary, biweekly means: 

1. occurring every 2 weeks

2. occurring twice a week

Okay... that's a little confusing.  According to the City of Winnipeg, Spring is just in May, so we're stuck babysitting the thatch that was raked the first week in April.  And Fall just covers two weeks in October.  

If we have a nice October this year, well, don't even think of letting your tomatoes ripen on the vine.  If your tomato plants aren't pulled and giftwrapped by October 19, you'd better find a recipe for cooking them, plants and all.  

And not just any old bag will do for Winnipeg yard waste.  No siree.  We used to fill our large dog food bags with rakings and cuttings.  Now there are garbage container rules:

- any reusable container without a lid

- cardboard boxes

- paper yard waste bags which, the brochure said, "You can buy them at many stores."  Right.  I want names.

- any certified compostable bag with an official logo

For something that was so well planned out, that's an awful lot of changes in such a short period.

My favorite sentence was: "Yard waste that is set out in plastic garbage bags is considered garbage and will not be collected."  Even if the plastic garbage bag is in a garbage cart?  I mean, duh, it's garbage.

I'm sure we're going to get another letter about summer lawn clippings.

Maybe they'd like to be Facebook Friends, too?

(Originally posted April 17, 2010)

Have a great day.  How can you miss - you're in Winnipeg!

Mayor Sam Katz Declines Aboriginal Invitation

On October 18, North End Votes will be hosting an All Candidates Mayoral forum at the Indian and Métis Friendship Centre.  Three out of the four candidates have confirmed their attendance. 

Mayor Sam Katz has declined.

Julie Lafreniere wants to encourage all Aboriginal people, especially the youth, to vote.  "We are the fastest growing demographic and if we have our voices heard, we can change the face of this city, and country."

North End Votes (NEV) is a coalition of organizations and residents in the North End of Winnipeg who are trying to spread the word about the importance of voting.

Ashlee Cochrane, Volunteer Coordinator at NEV said, "The North End of Winnipeg has the lowest voter turn out in the city. This has been attributed to many things... people not being informed, polling stations not being accessible and/or simply not caring.  North End Votes has been working to inform people about the candidates, dates and process to voting."

"It’s certainly upsetting that the current Mayor of our city has declined this invitation.  I once heard Sam Katz say that Aboriginal people were Winnipeg’s greatest asset, but his actions certainly do not illustrate that he believes that.  

I would encourage all Aboriginal people in Winnipeg to attend the forum on the 18th and to make note of his absence when they take to the polling station," Forum moderator Julie Lafreniere added.

Have a great day.  How can you miss - you're in Winnipeg!

Winnipeg Labour Election Committee

Cheryl-Anne Carr and Andre Lavoie of the WLEC (The Winnipeg Labour Election Committee) are inviting you to a meeting on Wednesday, Oct 13, at 7:00 p. m. at the Workers Organizing Resource Centre, 280 Smith St. (between Portage & Graham).

For more info: wlec@mts.net or 792-3371 

They are proposing 

a postering campaign to defeat members of City Council who voted for the Veolia contract 

to have a picket line at Katz' campaign headquarters (883 Notre Dame).

Draft posters and campaign materials will be available at the meeting, and in advance upon request by email. 

"A City for people, not big business and developer interests" is the proposed slogan. 

The posters will play 3 roles:

1. Strengthen the anti-right momentum of Winnipeg voters who are unhappy with 4 years of favours to developers and big business, like the Veolia deal.

2. Urge people to get out and vote on October 27.

3. Build the supporter-base of the WLEC.

Have a great day.  How can you miss - you're in Winnipeg!

Sam Katz's Caper: D in an A cup - by Margaret Ullrich

Last week our garbage was picked up on Friday, October 8.  

Tomorrow's Thanksgiving.  

So, we won't see any garbage pickup until Monday, October 18.  

Everything - including the extras from Thanksgiving - has to fit in that cart.  

Maybe our politicians don't celebrate holidays?

Okay...  two days to pickup.

We had hail on Good Friday.  We woke up to snow on Holy Saturday.  Easter was more spring-like.  It was good to get together with family and friends.

Well, the good times couldn't last forever.

The problem with good times is that they come in styrofoam and plastic.  They come iced and gravy laden.  They come in bulk and gift wrapped. 

Some is recyclable.  Most is not.  

Some folks like to work off holiday calories by doing their thatch raking.  You can burn quite a few calories that way, especially if you have a home on a corner lot.  Rake, bag and put the thatch out with the trash.

It used to be up to each citizen's conscience when to do that chore.  We've been told there'll be a special pickup for 'Yard Wastes'.  We don't know when that special pickup will be.

The handy dandy garbage carts are looking top heavy.  They were sized to hold a week's worth of trash.  We've just had a major holiday.  Whether or not you're a Christian, it was enough to close the stores and malls and the kids wanted the fancy chocolates.  

A holiday and bags of thatch rakings.

     

The garbage won't get picked up until Tuesday.  

They won't take it all.

(Originally posted April 10, 2010)

  

Have a great day.  How can you miss - you're in Winnipeg!

Sam Katz's Caper: The 11 Day Week - by Margaret Ullrich

Ah, holidays.  How much garbage will you have from Thanksgiving?

Okay...  It looked good on paper.  

Lots of really smart government folks did a lot of math.

According to their math, a brand new garbage cart - with wheels - could hold all the garbage a normal, healthy, God-fearing, tree-hugging Winnipeg family of any size could generate in 7 days.  I mean, really, experts know, you know?  

It was a real good system.  They were so pleased with themselves.

Like I said.  It looked good on paper.

Unfortunately that piece of paper wasn't a calendar.  A calendar with holidays.  

Garbage-wise Winnipeg is divided into 5 sections.  Garbage is collected Monday to Friday.  A day for each section.  When there's a holiday the garbage collection day is pushed ahead a day.  Only fair.  Garbage collectors get a holiday, too.

When the new system began, garbage in northwest Winnipeg was being collected on Wednesday.  Then we had Louis Riel Day and Thursday became our collection day.  Okay.  That's only an extra day's garbage.  We're Winnipeggers.  We can handle a little inconvenience.

Now we're facing Good Friday and Easter.  A double header holiday.  It doesn't matter what religion you do or don't follow.  In our neighborhood you won't see monster trucks swinging carts into the air for 11 days.  Basically a week and a half.  

A week and a half with a holiday dinner - turkey or ham - and all the garbage that creates.

Oy.

(Originally posted March 28, 2010)   

Have a great day.  How can you miss - you're in Winnipeg!

Mayoral Forum on Arts and Culture

Come to The Tom Hendry Theatre at the MTC Warehouse on Tuesday, October 12 to hear what all 4 mayoral candidates have to say about arts and culture in Winnipeg.

The discussion will last from 12:00 noon to 1:30 p. m.

Admission is free and all are welcome!

* Moderated by David Angus, President & CEO of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce

Created by ArtsVot Winnipeg

Have a great day. How can you miss - you're in Winnipeg!

Sam Katz's Caper: The Recycling Bubble - by Margaret Ullrich

Recycling.  Can I get an "Amen"?

Recycling is the new religion.  

The mark of a good, responsible, God-fearing, earth-loving Winnipeg citizen is having more than one bright blue box jam packed and brimming over with recycling each and every week.

Recycling will save your soul.

Recycling will save the environment.

Recycling will save Winnipeg money.

Maybe.

The R.M.s of Headingley and Macdonald are having to pay more to recycle because there's been a crash in the value of recycled materials.

Crash?  As in the Stock Market?  As in the housing market?  As in tanking RRSPs?

Yesirree.  Let's face it, folks.  If the price of gold and shiny new stuff can take a hit, do you think the value of garbage is anything on which to base a city's economy?  Do you really think we're going to barter with old water bottles as if they were gold bars?

Headingly CAO Chris Fulsher said, "Right now the markets have gone south as far as recycling products are concerned - there are no markets for the recycling products.  So right now we are paying more to recycle that we would if we were to dispose of these materials as solid waste."

Using more highly technical government jargon, Macdonald CAO Tom Raine explained, "When the market went all to heck last year, processors were charging him per tonne of recycling instead of paying him per tonne."

In December 2008 there was an economic downturn that reduced the market for recycled materials across North America and recycling facilities had an excess of recyclable materials that couldn't be sold.

And every week, as we've been ordered to do, we churn out more.

Whoops.

(Originally posted March 21, 2010)

Have a great day.  How can you miss - you're in Winnipeg!

Sam Katz's Caper: Smile. You've got garbage. - by Margaret Ullrich

Is it possible?  Are there politicians who come up with strange ideas?

Politicians in England - who have way too much time on their hands - are proposing to put microchips in the garbage bins to record the amount of garbage folks are throwing out.  They might also take pictures.

Monkey see, monkey do.  We might end up doing the same.

Actually, it could end up being an interesting collection of photos.  Never the same line up from one week to the next.

I'll explain.  

The dust has settled around the garbage in the north end.  

Some are still fighting the system.  They keep putting their garbage carts out on their own driveway, forgetting that there's no service on their side of the back lane.  But, for the most part, people are trying to make the best of a really dumb idea.

The problem with garbage is that the amount varies from one week to the next.  A family could be going along quite nicely with the regulation size bin until a once in a while thing happens.  Something like a large family party or a teenage son's sudden growth spurt.  You know.  Life.

What to do with that week's extra garbage?  I mean, it didn't fit with this week's load and next week will see the same sized load.  It just keeps coming.

Some folks, caught by the crap, have been making like Santa Claus.  First thing in the morning they're creeping around back lanes, toting a full bag or two of garbage.  These not so lively old elves are checking out their neighbors' cans, hoping someone has room for one more.  When they luck out, well, it's like winning the lottery.  Halleluia!!!  They can go home garbage-free!

Think of the happy expressions those microchips will capture.  Oh, if only they had audio!

Well, it's one way for politicians to get to know the voters.

(Originally posted March 14, 2010)

Have a great day.  How can you miss - you're in Winnipeg!

Sam Katz's Caper: Welcome to Point Douglas - by Margaret Ullrich

The political system known as democracy has been known to make strange bedfellows.  Sometimes that's just the way it goes, the way the cards are dealt.  And sometimes the deck is stacked...

Yeah.  You read that right.  

According to the map, we live in Tyndall Park.  Ask anybody.  The area near Burrows and Keewatin is Tyndall Park.  We are just east of Garden Grove and south of Meadows West.  It's a relatively new development and is still growing.  Especially the northern part of Keewatin Street, where we have a few of those new Mc Mansions.

But, according to our politicians, we live in Point Douglas.  Mention Point Douglas to any Winnipegger and he envisions an older area which has seen its share of problems.  The folks living there are trying very hard to reclaim their community and everyone applauds their efforts.  

We live in a riding that's a few blocks wide and about 15 miles long.  It stretches from Point Douglas to the perimeter.

That's a honking long riding.

Our elected representative has to present the needs of folks living quite different lifestyles.  But, hey, they all live in Point Douglas.

Good luck with that.

During the past weeks we've been amazed at the, shall we say 'lack of awareness' our politicians have shown regarding this new garbage system.  It's like they didn't know anything about our streets, back lanes, lifestyle or family sizes. 

Like maybe they never look west of McPhillips.  

Whenever the Leisure Guide comes out, folks around here just toss it.  What's the point of looking through it?  All the activities, all the funds, all the concern, is for the core area.  Well, how bad does it have to get here before we get a lousy exercise class in our neighborhood?

Maybe they never look west of Salter. 

It's always been said that folks vote for the name they know.  Yes, it's familiar.  Yes, it's lazy.  Yes, it's the "Better the devil you know, than the devil you don't" mentality.

Maybe it's time for a change.

Maybe it's time to get to know someone new.

Maybe it's time to vote for a name we don't know, but belongs to someone who knows us.

(Originally posted March 7, 2010)

Have a great day.  How can you miss - you're in Winnipeg!

Sam Katz's Caper: Who's Got the Metres? - by Margaret Ullrich

Did anybody rush City Hall to cram this system through?  A little thought would have been appreciated.  Maybe they just don't have time to think things through...

They had their long term plans.  Long term plans work, right?

They said it would work.  

People who share a back lane have to place their garbage carts along one side of the lane.  Same for the recycling cart.  Oh, and if you have a large family you can get a second cart for your garbage.

Okay... let's picture a worse case scenario.  Two large families back each other on the back lane.  Three carts each house.  Six carts.  

The cart is about a half metre wide.  We're supposed to leave one metre clearance on both sides of the cart.

Okay...  

That's 6 carts, .59 metre each    = 3.54 metres  

one metre on the end sides        = 2      metres 

one metre in between the carts  = 5      metres

                                               ______________

                                    total        10.54 metres

                                            

Our lots are 35 feet wide 

     35 feet x 12 = 420 inches

420 inches / 39 = 10.75 metres

By the way, we get snow.  Lots of snow.  We have to put it somewhere from roughly November to March.  That takes up a few metres, too.

Hmmm...  

Just to add to the fun, our garages or parking pads face the back lane.  These garages or parking pads hold cars.  That's right, there can be more than one driver per household.  

Now, about the time we've been told to put the carts out, folks are a little busy.  Driving out to get to work or to take the kids to school.  Some folks do shift work and come home at odd hours.  

In other words, the back lane isn't exactly just sitting there, unused, waiting for the new garbage trucks.

Hell, no.  It's damn busy.

And, maybe, just maybe, folks are a little too busy to move a half dozen carts - that can't all fit to block one homeowner's garage or parking pad anyway - around to get in and out of their garages or parking pads.  Any suggestions where they can put the carts, without blocking traffic, while they are coming and going?

The brochure says Now you're ready to roll!

Yeah, right.

(Originally posted February 24, 2010)

Have a great day.  How can you miss - you're in Winnipeg!