Metchosin is seeing an increase in illegal dumping in the municipality.
Many dead-end streets in Metchosin have been illegal makeshift dumps for years, but recently residents have seen an influx of trash left along well-travelled roads.
“This is a growing problem,” said Coun. Bob Gramigna.
Even public locations such as the Witty’s Lagoon parking lot, off of Metchosin Road, has become a hotspot for dumpers, said Rachel Parker, Metchosin’s municipal clerk.
During a July 11 council meeting, Coun. Jo Mitchell pointed out that lately there has been an abundance of construction material abandoned in the district.
About three weeks ago a resident reported seeing a pickup truck travelling throughout the district with a man in the back tossing out roofing materials, Mitchell said. It took a roads contractor an entire day to clean up the trail of roofing tiles.
“The cost to Metchosin is increasing,” Mitchell said. “We need to somehow make people aware.”
The District spends about $15,000 per year on cleaning up illegally dumped garbage.
Some dumpers are moving off of public roads and discarding items such as couches and oil tanks in the District’s public works yard, said Coun. Larry Tremblay.
While large items such as couches and mattresses are a common site, Coun. Moralea Milne mentioned smaller discarded items such as household trash are often ner the roadways too.
Milne suggested council work on a way to combat the issue by creating a program like Adopt-A-Road.
Parker also said that residents in the area who go out and help pick up trash along the roadways end up paying for the removal of the littered items when they put it in their residential garbage for collection.
Council deferred the issue to the highways administration committee for recommendations on the issue.
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