The City of Timmins Environmental Services Department, Waste Management Division has been working fast to address on-going delays in waste and recycling collection. Trouble started the end of April when mechanical issues began to plague waste collection trucks. With three garbage trucks beyond end of life, keeping these vehicles on the road has become a challenge.

The issue lies in the delay of two collection trucks purchased by the City in 2020 that are currently on back order. The primary reason given for the delay is supply chain issues resulting from the pandemic, but that reason does little to mitigate current concerns.

“We are looking at rental options for collection trucks and relying heavily on contractors to complete waste and recycling schedules,” says Scott Tam Manager of Environmental Services. “It really has been a perfect storm with limited heavy-duty mechanics available to work on our trucks while we wait for our two new vehicles to arrive. As of right now, we do not have a date of delivery.”

The City has been quick to post a notice of disruption online when delays or postponement are unavoidable, but Service Timmins has seen an increase in resident calls.

“Our staff have been addressing concerns about garbage pick-up, primarily with how late collection is occurring,” says Jennifer Chilton Manager of Service Timmins. “It’s spring and we have seen an increase in bear activity. People want to secure their bins. We are in constant contact with Waste Management to stay up-to-date on collection times and areas experiencing delays.”

The City is currently subsidizing operations with contracted support and there will continue to be minor delays while new contractors are added to rotation. As per City By-Law 2017-7977, if garbage and recycling has not been collected by 8:00 p.m. on collection day, the schedule will be postponed until the next day and bins should be removed from the roadway to a secure location.

The City will post notice of delays or postponement with affected areas online under our News and Alerts section on Timmins.ca. Residents can sign up to receive notice of disruptions via email or download the Timmins Recyclepedia app from the Google Play or App store for collection reminders.