July 5, 2009, 11 e-mails

B. K. wrote:

We have done two runs to Christie Pits already (mostly green bin) and did not wait at all. Yesterday, my husband observed a skating rink that was not full.

I'm afraid to keep any amount of garbage outside however wrapped, because raccoons usually get at it and we have a history with mice.

Some streets seem to be getting dumpsters and that seems to be a good idea for those who can afford to chip in.

Composters seem like a good idea too, but I was never able to get anything from mine - didn't know how to use it correctly when I had it, is my best guess.

I will just hunt for the closest site, I guess. Good luck with your choice of site.

M. S. wrote:

Green P lots are in fact owned by the city. and this is a great idea - making city-owned parking lots in to dumps. it would solve two problems at once!

M. W. wrote:

I suggest we purchase the rights to the Movie "Garbage: The Revolution Starts at Home" and do a screening at next Friday Night's Potluck. (I have access to a copy, but believe you need to pay more $$ to do a screening). Maybe we can figure out a way to do it as a CELOS fundraiser. I'd be happy to make a bunch of popcorn.

Heather's family keeping their garbage is the way we have been going so far. When it comes down to a choice between dumping in parks or crossing a picket line, we see neither option as entirely acceptable.

Waste-wise, we are running into trouble around the kitty litter, but I think we will buy the flushable stuff from now on. (Though that takes a different toll on the waste system.)

The movie is worth a watch. Only 75 minutes long, interesting and relevant. After my daughter watched it she said she wanted to save her garbage for three months too. I told her we had a two week start already.

B. S. wrote:

I would like to pose a question directly to the person who can answer yes or no on both "sides". We know that the City's temporary dump- and storage sites pose risks to human health and to the environment that can not be eliminated by pest control measures. The garbage dump in Christie Pits Park will likely stop accepting additional garbage today. However we hear it will remain open and exposed to the elements for as long as the strike lasts.

I want to ask whoever can make that decision in the City: If CUPE Local 416 would temporarily suspend their labour action to remove the garbage and residue from Christie Pits Park, and thereby eliminate the currently existing hazards to health and environment, would the City allow and support this?

I want to ask whoever can make that decision at the Union: If the City would allow and support this, could CUPE Local 416 temporarily suspend their labour action to remove the garbage and residue from Christie Pits Park and eliminate the currently existing hazards to health and the environment?

I want to ask both parties: In case the answer to either question is "No", would the city or CUPE Local 416 stand in the way, if private citizens were to organize the removal and appropriate disposal of the garbage and residue that is currently piled in Christie Pits Park?

If anyone on the list knows the name of the person this question can be directed to, I would appreciate to hear from you.

K. H. wrote:

For Cupe you might draft a letter to Cupe Ontario (Syd Ryan), It would definitely be good PR for the union to allow this. They would probably be concerned about a private company doing this. For the City, maybe the head of Parks and Recreation and the Mayor's office. Then where would the garbage go? It is an interesting proposal worth contemplating.

G. R. wrote:

I was very happy to see TEA's statement on pesticide spraying at the temporary dumps outlining their concerns. Please see their media release at:

http://www.torontoenvironment.org/campaigns/toxics/dumpsites

One disturbing except:

"One long-term human health concern linked to low-level exposure comes with permethrin's potential to act as an endocrine disruptor, meaning it may interfere with our body's ability to communicate through its hormones, glands and cellular receptors. Possible effects, depending on time of exposure, could be increased risk of reproductive problems, effects to children's development and thyroid disorders. Permethrin is a 'suspected' endocrine disruptor, and health effects from endocrine disruption are still being researched."

I also think TEA's point that we are entitled to information from the city to be an important one:

[The city should..] "Publically provide details of how they will clean up the temporary dump sites once they are no longer in use to ensure that any long-term contamination from the garbage and pesticides is eliminated before the public can access the site. This will likely mean keeping areas closed after the garbage is removed to allow for soil testing and mitigation."

I wonder how long the pool will remain closed after the strike, as it probably wouldn't be a good idea to have anyone in the area of the hazardous residue in the area?

I guess Joe Pantalone would be the person to approach with these questions, but he remains missing in action. It still stuns me that the neighbourhood is facing its greatest problem of the last five years, and our Councillor cannot even respond to our emails, come to consult with his constituents, or provide us with the most basic of information about what is going on.

B. K. wrote:

I still am trying to find out where Friends of Christie Pits are dumping their garbage, because I need an alternative if CP closed today. No one will give me an answer.

Also, friends without cars need a ride to those dump sites.

Noone on the Dufferin Grove listserve will tell me where the Christie Pits dumpers are dumping. I just keep getting messages about flyers and toxic leaching (even though protesters are stopping the rat poison -- I hope your raccon population is in check, cause mine is in my garbage) and dumping on soccer fields (this is uncomfirmed) and baseball diamonds.

all I know is that if they're not at your park then they're at someone's and the NOT IN MY BACKYARD folks don't care about the rest of Torontonians in non-Christie Pits Toronto.

Also, people should not be harassed by either strikers or tree lovers.

Incidently, a sign against dumping was NAILED TO A TREE at Christie pits. How bad is that?

Please, again. where are you dumping, those of you who oppose Christie Pits as a dumpsite?

If I don't get an answer pretty soon , I'm going to assume the worst.

M. G wrote:

My family has been keeping all our garbage since the strike. Our recycling is taking up a lot of room around the house (since we had a birthday party for my 6 year old.) We have a backyard compost for fruits and vegetable scraps. The organic green bin waste is now full and I will be taking it to Commissioners St. transfer station because we have a car. I will ask my neighbours if they need me to take some with me.

As a community, Seaton Village Residents Association rented a bin for 18hrs and people in our area could dump their garbage for $5/bag.

We are hoping to rent another bin for this area so there will be a pick up once a week if this strike continues.

The Christie Dump is closing because it is full. We are not celebrating. This is not a victory by any means. We are very concerned about all the other sites that might open in the future.

I'm really sorry you feel so stressed out about garbage...this strike is really awful. Maybe you could arrange a bin for your area once a week for people who do not have a car or check craigslist.org for private companies who pick up garbage.

No body wants this strike to continue but we are trying very hard to keep the impact of the dump to a minimum.

S. wrote:

I'm not a Friend of Christie Pits, but I can tell you where I'm dumping my garbage - I'm not.

All my garbage is cleaned, dried, compacted as much as possible - tins and cardboard can be flattened - separated into clear plastic bags and stored on my porch. There is no organic matter to attract vermin so I don't have to worry about raccoons or rats getting into it.

All my vegetable waste goes into my backyard composter. I live in a house but I have friends who live in apartments or condos who have vermiculture set up in their homes for the same purpose.

I've postponed large purchases that will produce a lot of packaging to get rid of. I've cut back on buying meat since that can't be composted here in my backyard. What non-compostable food waste I do have to deal with is separated into green bin waste and contaminated garbage (meat wrappers and the like), wrapped up securely and stored in the freezer.

The strike has been going on for *two* *weeks* and I am quite frankly flabbergasted that people can't hold onto their trash for such a short length of time. If the strike goes on long enough for me to run out of freezer space I will have to take ONE bag of garbage to the transfer station. I don't have my own car so I will either get an Autoshare vehicle, make arrangements with a neighbour or hire somebody from Craigslist.

What I will not being doing is "getting rid" of my garbage by tossing it into what is virtually somebody else's front lawn. I would consider that extremely unethical.

L. J. wrote:

Hear! Hear! We are doing the same thing. We may have to send one bag to the dump but for the near future, we are allocating freezer space for the meat scraps and the composter takes care of the vegetable matter. Makes you very aware of how much garbage we produce. I intend to watch very carefully the amount of packaging on things from now on!

B. S wrote:

As you will probably know, yesterday (Sunday) afternoon, the City's pest control contractor entered the Christie Pits Dump to spray insecticides and disinfectants. He came back again to spray a second time at 11:00 p.m. He returned a third time to spray this morning. And he is planning to return again tonight.

According to the Health Hazard Order passed by the City, and according to the sworn testimony given by the City's Public Health Inspector at court on Saturday, it is the contractor, not Public Health, who assesses whether spraying is indicated; the subsequent spraying is done by the same contractor. I expect that the contractor is paid for both.

---

I took a walk around the park this morning at 8:00, the Organic Garden is so beautiful. A small detachment of starlings was hopping through the stalks, pecking at grubs and worms, robins were in the grass and a magnificent red-winged blackbird spread its wings in the sun, perched on a bamboo rod, ready to fly off just before the busily winding beanstalks would trap him.