City Offering Free Disposal Of Tree And Yard Debris Caused By Storm

To help assist with the clean up of the City after Sunday's heavy wet snowfall the City has decided to allow residents to haul tree debris and yard waste for free to the landfill to both residents and contractors from today (October 26) through Sunday, November 6, 2022.

In a release the City is saying they are doing it as it will not only clean up debris but also in the end assist the City in doing their regular work once the debris is removed from streets, sidewalks and back lanes.

“This was an exceptionally damaging storm, and the quicker we can dispose of debris from City streets and back lanes, the sooner all of our operations can return to normal,” said Darrin Stephanson, Director of Public Works said in a release.

The landfill fees will only be waived for disposal of trees and yard waste (no mixing with other types of waste) and City staff will be on site to inspect loads at the landfill.

A broken tree limb on a City owned boulevard tree in the Avenues blocks a street on Monday morning - MJ Independent file photo

Additionally the City has also requested residents to help out if they can by putting tree debris - smaller branches - presently on streets and sidewalks onto the boulevards where it will be collected.

The City has hired external contractors to assist with the efforts, and residents can also help by piling smaller branches from City trees onto boulevards.

The City said the main priorities are removing trees and related debris which are safety hazards and threatening buildings.

“Our current priority for tree clean-up efforts is focused on ensuring the safety of residents and property,” said Derek Blais, Director of Parks and Recreation said in the same release. “Once all safety concerns have been addressed, our crews will turn their attention to cleaning up debris and we ask for patience as it will take several days.”

The City has given no numbers of trees damaged by the storm but has stated it numbers into the hundreds.

The issue of the damage to trees and the clean-up was asked about in the enquiries portion of Monday afternoon’s Council meeting.

The City would like to thank residents for their patience and reminds residents to use the Report An Issue feature at www.moosejaw.ca or on the free City app to report any issues with missed collections, broken trees/branches or any other matter for which the City provides service. Including a photo with your submission is encouraged as pictures enhance our ability to prioritize clean-up efforts.