Niagara Region | Winter 2024 | niagararegion.ca

Winter 2024 Issue

Waste Management's winter reminders

Winter is almost here, and the holidays are right around the corner. This season presents some unique waste management challenges – from holiday festivities to snowstorms, managing your waste in the winter requires some additional considerations.

Holiday collection changes

Mark your calendars – there is no waste collection on Christmas Day (Dec. 25) and New Year’s Day (Jan.1). Collections scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday during those weeks will shift by one day. Need another nudge before the holidays? Download the Niagara Region Waste App for personalized collection reminders or visit niagararegion.ca/waste.

Christmas tree disposal

Natural Christmas trees are collected the week of Jan. 6 – 10. Place the tree at the curb by 7 a.m. on your regular collection day and check that all decorations are removed. Trees wrapped in plastic or buried in snow will not be collected. Many local farms also accept trees for their animals to enjoy – please contact farms directly to confirm details.

To dispose of an artificial tree, book a separate large item collection through the Region’s web or contacting your collection contractor.

Placing waste containers at the curb

Waste containers or bags should not be placed on top of, in front of, or behind snowbanks. Winter weather can cause waste containers and bags to fall off or be buried in snowbanks, creating litter. Icy snowbanks also pose a safety hazard to collection staff. Instead, shovel space on your driveway or at the curb for safe and easy collection. Be mindful to not place containers or bags on sidewalks or walking paths, blocking the way for pedestrians.

Visit niagararegion.ca/waste for up-to-date seasonal waste management information and reminders – and don’t forget to check your mailboxes for the 2025 Waste Collection Guide in January.

Waste management presentations available year round

Did you know that Niagara Region Waste Management offers free presentations for schools and community groups? Using a fun and interactive approach the presentations teach students and community members the ins and outs of Niagara's collection programs and cover topics like waste reduction and diversion.

Learning about waste management isn’t just for Earth Day or Waste Reduction Week – presentations can be booked year-round!

Water Wagon season wrap-up

The 2024 Water Wagon season was a resounding success! This season’s Water Wagon crew attended 69 events over 97 days of service, interacting with the public at events such as track meets, fundraisers, Port Colborne’s Canal Days Marine Festival, Pelham Summerfest, and many more. At each event, community members and their furry friends stayed cool and hydrated as the Wagon provided cold, refreshing tap water free of charge.

The Water Wagon is available for events across Niagara that draw over 400 people, are free to the public, and are over four hours in duration.

If you have an event that could benefit from free, refreshing tap water, request your 2025 event dates now to avoid missing out on this great service next year!

Compost donation and food drive annual results

Each spring and fall, Niagara Region hosts a compost donation and food drive event. For the event, community members may collect up to three 20 litre bags of compost in exchange for non-perishable food items or cash donations, supporting local charities. This year we gave away 3,344 bags of compost and with your generosity donated $3,403 and 915 kilograms of food to six local organizations doing amazing work across the region.

Thank you to everyone that participated in this year’s compost events! Keep an eye out for the spring event dates in the next issue of the Green Scene.

Construction Completed: Ontario Street in St. Catharines finishes ahead of schedule

The Reconstruction of Ontario Street (Regional Road 42) between Linwell Road and Lakeport Road in St. Catharines began construction in October 2023 and construction officially finished in October 2024, exactly one year from the start and 9 months ahead of schedule and under budget! Niagara Region and City of St. Catharines were project partners on this $14M build.

The project saw the following elements completed:

• 1224m of watermain installed, including service connections
• 887m of new storm sewers, laterals and a newly constructed storm outfall
• A retaining wall needed to widen Ontario Street in the Juliana Creek area
• 2751m of curb and gutter
• 53812 tonnes of granular
• 7,201 tonnes of asphalt
• 1 beautiful new roadway

We want to thank all parties involved in the project from start to finish: The Detailed Design which was undertaken by Robinson Consultants have been instrumental in making the Environmental Assessment design completed by UEM become a reality. Morrison Hershfield (now Stantec) undertook the Contract Administration and Inspection, with Rankin Construction as the General Contractor.