My View on the Toronto Civic Service Strike

Beautiful Skies
June 27, 2009

It's now day 8 of the Toronto civic service strike. By far the media focus has been on the garbage piling up in temporary dumping areas. Of greater concern is the city of Toronto has hired a firm to come in a spray insecticides nightly to "ward off insects and rodents". Worse yet in the midst of this type of problem the residents of Toronto seriously are behaving like babies! Heck even Economic Development and Trade Minister Sandra Pupatello called Torontonians a "bunch of babies" in their response to the garbage strike although she later apologized for that. Well, I do think they are being a bunch of babies and I'm not going to apologize for saying so!

Less than 24 hours after the strike began there were reports of garbage piling up in Toronto and illegal dumping. What the heck? Give it a rest! I'm sorry but I just don't understand why Torontonians couldn't be a bit more prudent with their garbage production especially in these times when so many are trying to reduce their carbon footprint. What are they doing? Spring cleaning just because?

Heck, we could easily go several weeks and do so in the winter not putting out garbage. We average 1 bag of garbage weekly and it does not include organic waste. Organic waste can be composted so is a valuable resource. We put our recyclables out biweekly and while that is more that a garbage bags' worth it is still less than the average household because we follow the first rule of being eco-friendly and that is to reduce. We still have a long way to go. A few years ago I saw a rather interesting documentary where a family of 4 was able to reduce their garbage output to 1 grocery bag for the year. Now that is our goal!

Torontonians need to start taking responsibility for themselves. All those bags of garbage do not just magically disappear when you put them to the curb. They go somewhere else where they are someone else's problem. Now they are finally realizing it is their problem. This is a perfect time for each and every Torontonian to do their part. Get involved and reduce your garbage production!

I'd like to address the issue of the insecticides being used by the City of Toronto. This is an environmental nighmare! Insecticides do diddly when it comes to rodents or other small animals that get into the ever growing piles of garbage. What they do is get into the ground water and make their way to Lake Ontario causing possibly irreparible environmental damage affecting all the Great Lakes waterways. They are already putting humans at risk as one being sprayed causes respiratory problems. Yet we have the Ontario Pesticide Ban and Toronto was a leading city getting that through the legislature. Residents can be fined for using these pesticides but NOW. the city of Toronto turns around and uses the very same pesticides banned without regard to the future health of their residents. For shame Toronto!

For shame Toronto on so many levels! And yes from a fellow Canadian you are being a bunch of babies!

Garden Gnome
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