Bin there, dumped that: Trash cans to be reinstalled along Montreal’s Lachine Canal

MONTREAL – Parks Canada will reinstall around 30 garbage bins along Montreal’s Lachine Canal after some visitors expressed frustration at their sudden disappearance earlier this month.

The federal agency says the measure was a pilot project to encourage visitors to take responsibility for waste destined for landfills.

Parks Canada says in a statement today that it deemed the canal’s cleanliness satisfactory without the bins but decided to replace them at the end of the pilot after public opposition.

Some visitors to the canal last week complained that the lack of easily accessible places to bring their waste made them less likely to frequent the national historic site, a popular destination for pedestrians, cyclists and picnickers.

Parks Canada says it will continue to seek ways to address what it calls waste management issues along the canal, such as the disposal of household and construction garbage in public receptacles.

Other measures the agency says it’s planning are the installation of new types of collection bins aimed at reducing contaminants in recycling containers, and a campaign to raise awareness of responsible garbage management.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 26, 2024.