The District of Muskoka has three new waste drop sites set to open in south Muskoka but some in north Muskoka are wondering why they’ve been left off the list.
During the most recent District Engineering and Public Works Committee, councillors heard plans for new waste drop-off facilities in Gravenhurst, Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes Township. The new facilities are intended as a complement to the currently underway Bin Site Transition project.
Coun. Dan Armour questioned why there wasn’t a site planned for the Huntsville area. He said he had heard some concern from residents about the lack of facilities in Huntsville.
There will be some consideration given to a Huntsville site during the preparation of the Solid Waste Master Plan, said Renee Recoskie, the Director of Waste Management and Environmental Services.
“Huntsville is certainly on our radar,” she said.
The first new site is scheduled to open at 1990 Housey’s Rapids Road in the fall of this year. The facility will accept District-wide residential waste, recycling (until the end of 2025; blue box transition may impact future service level) and organics. No commercial materials will be accepted.
It will service the communities of Riley Lake, East Kahshe Lake and (Gravenhurst).
The second facility is Lake Muskoka Depot on Beaumont Drive in Bracebridge.
It will also accept District-wide residential waste, recycling (until end of 2025; blue box transition may impact future service level) and organics. No commercial materials will be accepted.
It will service Lake Muskoka East (Water-Access Residents), Strawberry Bay and Beaumont Farm Road. Its anticipated opening is mid-year 2025.
The Southwood Depot will also accept District-wide residential waste and organics. It’s undetermined whether blue box materials will be accepted, based on blue box transition. No commercial materials will be accepted.
It will service Nine Mile Lake and Bastedo Lake (Muskoka Lakes)
Its anticipated opening is mid-year 2026.
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Don’t blame the district for the mess around these summer drop off spots or toxic waste getting into the water ways. Blame the people that abuse them. If the district was to fence and have staff at these spots, the abusers will just take their garbage to a side road and throw it off.
Beaumont is at st. Elmo parking lot
It’s becoming obvious that the bureaucrats at District and Province and certain politicians have made a mess of waste collection. Arbitrary closing of bin sites replaced by a truck residents must meet on a SUNDAY afternoon in their area, reduction from three waste bags to two bags, going to clear bags for waste with two, yes two opaque bags ‘allowed’ to hide personal and private material, the animal friendly green compost bins, the replacement of one garbage contractor by another after all kinds of allegations, the further reduction planned to one garbage bag per week. Then there is all the illegal dumping this is creating. Garbage on side roads and in forested areas.
Even Toronto has not gone to these extremes. Maybe we are copying some communist type regime?
The excuse is that we are running out of landfill space. Really? So we can have room for more faceless subdivisions with their billion dollar cost of upgrading sewage capacity.
The other question is where does all our recycling material end up? There have been numerous articles on how that material in fact is never recycled but rather stored in a warehouse or dumped elsewhere, sometimes in poor countries.. In the past I’ve been told by workers that the recycling material has often ended up in landfill as they were short staffed and it was too much to send it south.
What is really going on? It’s time the taxpayers were told the truth and not served with virtue signals.
Absolutely disgraceful to put disposal sites near water or lake communities. Riley Lake and river area should be protected from toxic waste runoff of any kind. There is a nature trail and houses immediately in the Housey Rapids community. Terrible location choice on tbe part of decision makers.
Absolutely disgraceful to put disposal sites near water or lake communities. Riley Lake and river area should be protected from toxic waste runoff of any kind. There is a nature trail and houses immediately in the Housey Rapids community. Terrible location choice on tbe part of decision makers.
How will this affect the existing summer pick up and winter big bins locations?
Exactly where on Beaumont drive is it located?