Pubdate: Tue, 09 May 2006 Source: Daily Courier, The (CN BC) Copyright: 2006 The Okanagan Valley Group of Newspapers Contact: http://209.115.237.105/kelowna/publish/include/letterToEditor.php Website: http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/531 Author: J.P. Squire DUMP THE DUMPSTERS PLAN A HIT Tracey Richards used to watch people doing drugs from her office at Doc Willoughby's Downtown Pub. But with the dumpsters gone, so are the druggies. "It's great. Getting rid of the garbage bins really cleaned up the alley a lot," said Richards, manager of the Bernard Avenue pub. It's that kind of success in the campaign to eliminate dumpsters downtown that already has some businesses in the plan's second phase taking interest. Cruzwear, farther down Bernard, is in the area slated to become part of the program on Oct. 1. However, owner Sheri Rothwell wouldn't mind if it started earlier. "I'm all for it, just to get it going. We're getting quotes," she said Monday. Tom Loewen, district manager for BFI Canada, said Monday a handful of businesses in Phase 2 have contacted him about starting earlier than Oct. 1. "We're prepared to do that, but we're entering our busy period, so we'll play it by ear," he said. On March 1, the Downtown Kelowna Association, city hall and garbage haulers co-operated in replacing dumpsters with daily pickup for the area bounded by Abbott and Pandosy, Harvey Avenue and Queensway. Downtown Kelowna Association executive director Clint McKenzie said most of the 65 businesses in the first phase appear to be happy with the results. A lot of them are finding they pay $40 to $60 a month less, perhaps because others were illegally putting garbage in their bins, he said, although two or three restaurants are paying more than they expected as they enter their high-volume season. "We're pushing the garbage haulers earlier than they expected," said McKenzie. "Those who still have dumpsters are being hit harder by illegal dumping." Richards said she recently spoke to a FortisBC contractor who was impressed with the change. "They think it's wonderful that the garbage bins are gone. During the six months they worked here, they saw people defecating on the walls and in the bins. Now it's fantastic. No one is hanging around; you don't feel unsafe." The lack of hiding places and loss of dumpster materials to sort through has pushed some transients east toward the residential area, however. The Kelowna Boys and Girls Club centre on Richter Street has had problems with people loitering around its dumpster, so it was removed on Monday, even though the centre is in Phase 2. The second phase involves the area from Phase 1 east to Bertram Street, which has another 75 businesses. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake