Montrealers will have to wait at least another week before city crews are able to clear all of the garbage left on the streets following July 1 moving day, Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada said Thursday.
Speaking at a news conference Thursday afternoon, Martinez Ferrada reminded residents that everyone has a responsibility to help keep the city clean.
“I would like residents who are moving to feel responsible for the waste they leave behind,” she said.
She urged people to donate unwanted furniture or bring it to one of the city’s ecocentres rather than leaving everything at the curb.
“We can’t just throw everything in the garbage,” she said, referring to the large amounts of debris lining some streets the day after moving day.
Related:
“It’s part of a collective effort to make sure the city stays as clean as possible,” she added.
The mayor noted that Montreal has seven ecocentres.
The facilities accept items for recycling and reuse, including furniture such as mattresses, household appliances, construction materials, hazardous household waste such as paint, batteries and aerosol cans, as well as refrigeration appliances.
Extra crews, equipment shortage
Martinez Ferrada said additional crews have been assigned in some neighbourhoods to help collect waste.
The city has also rented trucks from private companies to assist with garbage collection because it does not have enough equipment.
She blamed previous administrations for failing to invest sufficiently in the equipment needed to support municipal services.
“You can’t hit a nail without a hammer,” she said.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
