Plante accused of waiting too long to address recycling mess at Lachine sorting facility
There was no shortage of fanfare at the inauguration of the Lachine sorting facility in 2019, but three years later many are asking what went wrong.
"The sorting centres are overflowing and have become fire hazards with the amount of bales of recyclable materials that are stacked up to the ceiling," said Alan DeSousa, Mayor of the Saint-Laurent borough.
The company managing the Lachine recycling plant is Ricova, which said for years it has warned the city that the equipment installed was inadequate to meet the demand.
At City Hall, opposition leader Aref Salem wondered why the Valerie Plante administration didn't hire someone else.
"We could have done it six months ago. We could have found solutions five years ago," said Salem, leader of Ensemble Montreal.
Recycling advocate Karel Menard agreed that the city should have made the switch long ago.
But he isn't buying Ricova's explanation.
"It’s not because of the equipment. I wouldn’t say that because it is brand new. The sorting centre from 2019. So it’s only 3 years old," he said.
Menard said it's a good idea that Montreal will now use Société VIA, a non-profit organization, instead.
"The money they make with their operation, they reinvest it into the sorting centre or into the people who work there," he added.
Mayor Plante faced questions about her team's handling of the Lachine recycling facility on Monday at City Hall.
"If we had listened to Ensemble Montreal in cutting ties with Ricova, you know what would have happened? We would have a break in service," Plante charged.
The opposition demanded a special council meeting be held specifically on the topic of the Lachine recycling centre — something the mayor agreed to because she said her administration has nothing to hide.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Three dead, two hospitalized, following collision in Fredericton: police
Three people have died and two have been hospitalized after a speeding car struck a tree and landed on another vehicle in Fredericton Sunday morning.
Amid climate change warnings, Canadians lukewarm on electric vehicles
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Madonna's biggest-ever concert transforms Rio's Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor
Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.
1 person killed and 23 injured in a bus crash in northern Maryland, police say
One person was killed and 23 others were injured when a bus crashed early Sunday on Interstate 95 in northern Maryland, police said.
Nylander defends Leafs' core after playoff exit, Toronto again picks up the pieces
William Nylander stood in a solemn visitors locker room at TD Garden just before midnight. The Maple Leafs had battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins with consecutive 2-1 victories - including one that required extra time - in their first-round playoff series to push the club's Original Six rival to the limit before suffering a devastating Game 7 overtime loss. Nylander's message was emphatic.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
‘Love has no boundaries’: Sask. couple in their 90s and 80s get married
Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.
Video shows gaggle of geese stopping traffic on Highway 1 near Vancouver
A mother goose and her goslings caused a bit of a traffic jam on a busy stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway near Vancouver Saturday.