Letter to the Editor

April 1, 2026 Content Manager

New garbage collection calendar raises fear of rats

I’m writing to express my concern with the recent changes to the City garbage collection calendar and the disproportionately negative effect that they will have on our community.

The City began notifying residents on February 11 of changes in garbage collection due to a shift in contract management. According to City plans, there will be no residential garbage collection between March 17 and April 10 in Sandy Hill. I did a quick scan of various parts of the City, and the only area I found to be even worse off was in Vanier, also in Ward 12.

Our community is a high-density area and growing rapidly. Garbage is a perennial concern. In the spring, there are serious problems with rats in the area. It’s hard to drive through Sandy Hill or down Montreal Road in Vanier at certain times in the spring without running over rat carcasses. I’ve seen crows lift them off the street and drop them on roofs. It’s not pleasant.

Now, residents of these neighbourhoods are being told to store garbage for almost a month. It is little comfort that homes will be permitted six items of garbage when it is finally collected. Who in this area has space or enough bins, even if it could be done in a way that did not encourage wildlife, or not make it likely that garbage will be picked over and strewn throughout our neighbourhood before it is collected?

I can’t think of anywhere in the world where you would have to wait almost four weeks for garbage collection, never mind an area two km from our national Parliament. Recycling and green bin use don’t solve this problem. Even our current garbage collection every other week is considerably worse than many other cities.

If you are concerned about these changes and want to urge the City to take action, you might wish to consider writing to our councillor for Ward 12, Stéphanie Plante, at stephanie.plante@ottawa.ca.

Charlotte Garay
Friel Street

Property bylaws 101

There are two City of Ottawa bylaws that address garbage and debris on private property: the Property Standards Bylaw (Bylaw 2013-416) and the Property Maintenance Bylaw (Bylaw 2005-208). In summary, they state that:

· A private property shall be kept clear of refuse and debris. Both the owner AND the occupant are responsible for meeting property maintenance bylaws.

· Garbage shall be kept in the back of a property, or on the side IF there is no room at the back. If the storage is visible from the street, the containers shall be enclosed.

· Garbage containers must be constructed to prevent the entry of rodents or other animals, with a tight-fitting lid, and must be kept neat and clean. Garbage bags shall not be stored outside.