Residential garbage and recycling pickup is cancelled this week because of the 70-80 centimetres of snow that fell Sunday night, according to a press release from the City of Nelson.
“This is an incredible amount of snow for our residents and city crews to manage … We understand that this will be inconvenient for many of you, but it is important that our crews remain safe and focus their attention on dealing with the large accumulation of snow,” the news release states.
In the interim, the city will place a large bin near the airport that will receive residential garbage but not recycling.
The bin will be available from 10:00 a.m. on Jan. 5 until the end of day on Jan. 8. It will be locked overnight.
The city asks that people put only tagged and bagged garbage in the bin, not recycling. The reason the bags must be tagged, the city says, is that it still has to pay the tipping fees — the fees charged by the Regional District of Central Kootenay when the garbage is delivered to the RDCK’s Grohman transfer station.
Recycling can be taken to the recycling depot operated by the RDCK at 70 Lakeside Drive or to the Grohman Narrows depot at 1201 Insight Drive.
The next regular garbage and recycling pick-up days will be during the week of Jan. 17 to the 21.
Businesses and apartment buildings
Waste Management, the company that collects garbage and recycling from businesses and apartment buildings, is asking those owners to clear a path for their trucks.
“We know businesses and multi-family communities are counting on reliable service, and WM drivers are trained to anticipate all kinds of weather conditions,” said WM operations director Matt Paden. “The problem comes when snow and ice block access to containers.
“No one wants overflowing containers this time of year,” Paden said. “Unfortunately, snow and ice can make it impossible for WM drivers to provide service. To ensure regular collection, we’re asking businesses and property managers to keep areas clear and safe.”