Advantage Ms. Martin in the recycling debate

While the Mayor may have famously said "No you may not",  it would seem that it may end up a case of maybe we can.  As not everyone would appear to be on the same page as his worship when it comes to examining the issue of recycling in the region.


As we outlined on the blog last week, at the last council meeting, Mayor Jack Mussallem made some unfortunate headlines with his stern admonishment of local recycling proponent Jean Martin, shutting down her efforts to draw attention to some concerns over the hours of operation and management of the local recycling facility in the industrial park.

The Mayor's curt (and in some minds rude) rebuke of Ms. Martin's efforts, (see TV 7 video here) seems to have done more to bring the issue back to the forefront, than if he perhaps had let her air her concerns in front of council.

The Mayor's handling of Ms. Martin's request to address council received even further publicity when it went viral on the local information portal hackingthemainframe and was subsequently posted to the ever popular YouTube site
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It was an outburst that provided council with some instant feedback on the issue and the city's handling of it.

Having been denied the opportunity to proceed with her thoughts to council at the last session, Ms. Martin recently forwarded a piece for the Northern View's editorial page, a contribution that outlines her observations and provides for a bit of research material for the Mayor and his council.

Since that council session the recycling issue seems to have once again caught the attention of council and the local media.

Northern View editor Shaun Thomas weighs in with his own thoughts on the issue with this editorial piece in the weekly paper.

Of course many will remember that sometimes the Mayor doesn't always take kindly to Mr. Thomas' contributions on municipal affairs, but on this issue it would seem that the Northern View has dotted it's i's and crossed it's t's.

The mayors own council could also be sending signs that it is not quite in step with his recent handling of Ms. Martin's concerns.


Councillor Sheila Gordon Payne offered up this interpretation of the recycling situation, one which suggests that some members of the council may be wishing to explore the issue further, seeking a solution to the ongoing concerns.

The simple fact that Ms. Martin wishes to see that the recycling centre has better oversight and offers hours of operation that are more amenable to local users seems like pretty pragmatic concerns.

The Mayor may wish to review his handling of the situation, as it would seem that he's falling behind the community when it comes to their thoughts on the the recycling centre issues and the Mayor's handling of them.