TORONTO (djc) – With the arrival of the Pope and worldwide media spotlight for World Youth Day just a few weeks away, Torontonians are even more anxious for striking garbage collectors to clean up the nauseating mess of uncollected trash littering the city.
World Youth Day, a weeklong spiritual festival for young Catholics coming up on July 18, is among the major tourist events being affected by the labour dispute, the biggest strike by municipal workers in Canadian history.
Despite his frail health, Pope John Paul II is expected to attend, as well as television crews and reporters from around the world, increasing the city’s anxiety for a quick deal between the striking workers and city officials, or at least back-to-work legislation.
“Every effort will be made to make sure that streets are tidy for the Pope,” said a city spokesman.
“I regret very much that the images of the very beautiful city of Toronto that are now being projected throughout the world are of a city that is dirty,” added Father Thomas Rosica, World Youth Day national director.Visitors are affected not only with the eyesore of garbage in the streets, many curbside trash cans have also been taped shut and public toilets closed.
Although some tourists interviewed by local media said they’re less enthusiastic about revisiting
Toronto because of its filthier streets, others said the situation wasn’t that bad.
To address health concerns, Toronto’s medical officer of health issued an order on Friday for the city to clean up some parks, remove the illegally dumped garbage outside some drop-off sites, and wash and disinfect the areas. A fine of $25,000 will be handed out if the striking workers fail to comply with the order.
The mounting uncollected garbage is already a problem in many areas of the city, with residents who are forced to either leave the garbage outside their homes, creating a putrid smell and a potential health hazard where bacteria, rodents and flies thrive. Or, they take their refuse at garbage drop-off sites, where strikers have made some residents wait for hours.
The city’s 6,800 outside workers, members of CUPE Local 416 including garbage collectors and child-care providers, have been on strike since June 26. Inside workers, members of Local 79 that include health inspectors, joined the picket lines this week. The main issue in the labour dispute for the 21,800 civic employees is mainly job security.Other than garbage collection, swimming pools, daycare, Toronto Island ferry and recreational facilities are closed by the strike. Major celebrations, including some Canada Day celebrations and the annual Toronto Street Festival, have been cancelled.
Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman expressed the sentiment of many in the city who may sympathize with the strikers’ position — but not at the expense of their health and their summer: “A strike was completely unnecessary,” Lastman said. “I think they pissed away our summer, to be perfectly frank with you.”
Talks between the union and city officials are continuing.
