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Council votes to trash compost project

“To me, it’s just a pile of something at the dump. It isn’t anything”

JOHN THOMPSON

Compost produced by the Bill Mackenzie Humanitarian Society grew these flowers, which were on display during a community barbeque held in August at the site of a newly-constructed greenhouse on Federal Road. More than 15 cubic metres of compost could soon be packed in the dump by city workers, following a council resolution passed last Tuesday. (FILE PHOTO)

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That evening, city council decided, behind closed doors, they would end negotiations with the Bill Mackenzie Humanitarian Society to relocate the community compost heap, which now lies in the city landfill, to a new location.

The council decision asked the society to remove all equipment by Oct. 1, and instructed city staff to begin packing the compost heap into the landfill on that same date.

But Iqaluit’s mayor, Elisapee Sheutiapik, told city staff on Friday afternoon to stand down on the matter until further notice, after receiving an angry letter from the society that day.

The letter pointed out that the society has an agreement to keep the compost at the present site until December.

The letter also says the society would consider legal action against the city if it disposed of the compost, which is the property of the society, and not the city.

No news on the fate of Iqaluit’s compost pile had been announced since then, as of Nunatsiaq News press time this week.

Council’s decision to axe the compost project overturned an earlier decision that councillors made earlier last Tuesday evening, following a presentation made by the society’s chair, Jackie Bourgeois, on the terms of a draft contract that would permit the group to move the compost to new site, owned by the city and located about 300 metres north of the landfill.

Councillors balked at many of the society’s proposed changes to the contract, and after interrogating Bourgeois for more than an hour, they passed a resolution that gave the society 48 hours to produce proof they’ve applied for a water license for a future compost site, and a deadline of Oct. 15 to negotiate a deal.

Some changes suggested by the society include pushing back the deadlines by one year for moving the compost from the landfill and building a new facility.

The new terms and conditions also change the stated purpose of the new facility, from composting to “waste management.”

Bourgeois said this would allow the group to branch out into related activities, such as selling salvaged wood to local businesses, or burning the material to heat a building on-site.

The new terms and conditions also call on the city to pay the society any money saved from diverting waste from the landfill to the compost heap.

“If we’re saving the city money, this money could be re-injected back into the facility itself,” Bourgeois explained to councillors with skeptical expressions on their faces.

During a cross-examination that would stretch over the next hour, councillors took aim at the proposal.

“There’s no way I can approve this before I look into all kinds of things,” said Coun. Glenn Williams.

“If you’re going to put this before us, those deals are off the table, because the rules of the game have changed.”

Some councillors, such as Simon Nattaq and Claude Martel, said they had never seen proof that the compost project worked.

“To me, it’s just a pile of something at the dump. It isn’t anything,” said Martel.

Others expressed concern that leaving the compost would affect the city’s water license. The society’s founder, Jim Little, reassured councillors that his group had spoken with officials from the federal department of Indian and Northern Affairs, who told them that isn’t the case.

Councillors remained unconvinced, and were unable to seek advice from their engineer, who is on vacation until mid-October.

Councillors also made it clear they were frustrated the compost heap would not be ready to be moved until this spring or summer, once a water license has been received for the new site.

“Procrastination is driving me crazy. As hard as we try to move this forward, it seems like we move three steps back,” said Nancy Gillis.

Mayor Elisapee Sheutiapik expressed concerns about the buried costs to the city in the terms and conditions, such as the possible cost of hiring an arbitrator to work out future disagreements between the two parties.

And Williams said the city needs to be cautious to avoid creating another North 40 - the abandoned metal dump at the end of Federal Road, which is a known contaminated site.

“We don’t know what kind of nasty stuff is in there,” he said of the compost pile.

“I can’t responsibly support something like that.”

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