City failing to enforce property standards across Sandy Hill

Christine Aubry

Let me start with a full disclaimer: not much irritates me more than litter. But when you live in an urban area with all kinds of critters—including rats—waste and garbage are not just an eyesore, they are public health concerns.

Action Sandy Hill volunteers have spent well over a decade trying to work with the City to improve rental property adherence to the property standard bylaws. Back in 2013, there were bylaw officers doing education sweeps. In 2016, fines were being imposed, especially around Chapel, Nelson, and Henderson. There seemed to be momentum toward improvement.

These days, many of us have “311 fatigue”: we take the time to report a problem property (online or by phone), it may or may not receive a fine, and the following month, we could report it again. But “keep reporting”, the City and councillor tell us, it’s apparently the only way to track the problem. (I write with a hint of sarcasm.)

Last year while talking with a bylaw officer about yet another one of my reports, he told me there were just not enough officers to handle the volume of calls. Indeed, there are two bylaw officers for all of Ward 12, which includes Lowertown and Vanier. No surprise then that many of my reports take so long to get addressed. The City may aim for inspection within three days but I have found it to be at least a week, sometimes up to a month. Plenty of time for critters to feast on the mess!

IMAGE wanted a chance to talk to officials about this systemic failure. The City refused several interview requests, submitting only written statements attributed to Roger Chapman, Director of By-law and Regulatory Services (BLRS).

I was therefore not able to discuss Carleton Place’s compliance system which, according to a resident, works extremely well: each bylaw compliance report and follow-up inspection and report generates a fee that is applied directly to the property owner’s tax bill. Nor could anyone explain why rental properties are not considered commercial properties, which would require them to dispose of their waste at their own cost.

As for proactively enforcing property standards, the way parking tickets are issued, again, no real explanation. Only that there are “proactive patrols in the fall and spring, coinciding with university move-in and move-out.” An August 2025 CTV news article by Josh Pringle reported that five new parking control officers had been added in 2025, generating increased revenue for the City.

But instead, the City seems to prioritize absentee property owners over the residents of Sandy Hill, based on the comments sent by Chapman:

“We recognize that waste storage can sometimes be a challenge, and our goal is to keep our community clean and welcoming, while also working with the unique circumstances of each property. When a concern about property standards is raised, BLRS will investigate and work with property owners to achieve compliance. Repeated offences may result in further enforcement action, including the issuance of fines.  Residents are encouraged to report suspected violations by contacting 3-1-1 so an officer can investigate and work with the property owner toward a fair and practical resolution.” (emphasis added)

So, how many fines (Provincial Offence Notices) were issued within Sandy Hill in 2025? Zero. But that’s only down from two for each previous year.

In response to a request for comment, Councillor Plante said she shares residents’ concerns and that she continues to advocate for expanded tools and resources for BLRS:

“Garbage is a huge issue in Sandy Hill. I live in this neighbourhood and I love living here, but we have a unique situation where many property owners and managers rent to students and do not live in the neighbourhood. We need these absentee property owners and managers to take responsibility for the cleanliness of their properties,” says Plante.

She also recognized that we will have a potential mess on our hands when our garbage collection days change this spring: “The three-week gap in garbage collection at the end of March is going to be a challenge for Sandy Hill. I am working on a solution. Please remember that the green bin will continue to get picked up every week. Rather than have food scraps sit for three weeks, put them in the green bin!”

Coincidentally, as I drafted this text, I received a call about a repeat offender on my street. The officer apologized for the delay in visiting the property and said they were going straight to issuing a fine. There may be hope yet.

Thank you to Larry Newman and Noah Leafloor for assistance with this article.