Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Or perhaps it's just that my sense of smell has deteriorated

When the Toronto garbage strike started, I told my housemate, who is relatively new to Canada, that the last one in 2002 went on forever and that the city was a total disaster.

"How long?" he asked.

"Oh, it must have been six weeks, eight weeks."

The 2002 strike, in fact, lasted 14 days. My memory, festooned with torn plastic bags and coffee-cup lids, had stretched with time.

Now we're 30 days into this strike and I realize that, in my estimation anyway, the city is just approaching the state of disrepair we achieved in 14 days last time. I think the green bin program and the expanded recycling program has made it easier--garbage is only picked up every second week, even when things are working correctly.

Also, although the union has really been calling the shots--why doesn't this issue erupt in January when a layer of ice can protect us and there's no tourists to scare away?--I think the city's doing a better job of handling things this time around. Touristy areas are being targeted by private cleanup crews. Overflowing bins are being cleaned up. The use of parks as temporary dumps--as horrifying as it is for the neighbours--was implemented in a quick and efficient way. There has been less illegal dumping.

In the seven years between the two strikes, we've learned something about garbage. Mostly that it ain't going to take care of itself.

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