North End homeowner fed up with garbage piles in back lanes

A Winnipeg man says he's fed up with the garbage that continues to pile up in back lanes near his home, and he wants his neighbours to do more to keep the area clean and safe. 

Daniel Nemis was out for a walk on Saturday when he noticed a huge mess in the back lane of the 500 block of Manitoba Avenue. He said the bins were overflowing, and there was garbage everywhere.

"There was a horrendous amount of pileup of garbage, everything from clothes, food to actual garbage," Nemis said. "This has been ongoing. I would say this is one of the nastiest back lanes in Winnipeg."

• Construction waste dumped in North End lot frustrates neighbour
• Garbage piles in Winnipeg back lanes worry residents

Nemis said he called 311 on Saturday and was told by the operator that the owner of the Manitoba Avenue home would be contacted by a city bylaw officer and have 10 days to respond.

That's too long to wait for someone to clean up the mess, Nemis said. Some of the garbage was blown away in the wind storm on Monday, he said.

"This wouldn't last two seconds in Fort Garry or St.Vital or Charleswood. Basically, the area gets neglected," he said.

It's not the first time the back lane has been a problem, he said.

He and other neighbours complained to the city last March about overflowing bins and garbage piling up in the back lane, he said.

"It was scattered across the backyard. That's the way they want to live? Fine, but it brings down the value of my property, and it brings down the neighbourhood, I think." 

There was so much garbage on Saturday, the mess extended into his driveway and his neighbour's yard on Pritchard Avenue, Nemis said.

He said he's also concerned about the children in the area who often play in the back lanes.

"I've got broken glass still there on the back lane. I don't care to drive over that."

He wants people living in the area to do their part to keep the neighbourhood tidy, he said.

"I take pride in my property, like everyone in the North End, and I have great neighbours, but there's always somebody," he said. "I suspect if you're in a rental, you're not someone that is going to have the same pride or motivation to keep your property clean."