Yellowknife city council mulls ending amnesty days at the local dump

The City of Yellowknife is considering ending amnesty days at its landfill.

Currently, the city has amnesty days two or three times a year, where residents can drop off regular household waste at the city's landfill for free, without the usual $16.50 tipping fee.

But with the dump expected to run a $1 million deficit this year, city staff say ending amnesty days could save money.

At city council's governance and priorities meeting on Monday, staff told councillors that each amnesty day can mean giving up an average of about $30,000 in tipping fees, in addition to staffing and overtime costs.

Amnesty days are also "chaotic," Yellowknife's manager of sustainability and solid waste Chris Vaughn said, with about 600 visitors at the dump each time one is held — and that can mean waste doesn't end up getting sorted properly, increasing the likelihood of issues like subsurface fires.

Vaughn suggested the city eliminate amnesty days altogether, or try replacing them with a voucher system. Residents who have curbside pickup and pay the city's solid waste levy would receive one or two vouchers allowing them a free drop-off at the dump.

Coun. Cat McGurk said they were supportive of the cost-saving measure, but they would be sad to see amnesty days go.

"It's kind of like a Black Friday for salvagers," McGurk said. "People really care about it, and people consider it a part of the social fabric of our community." 

Others on council, including Mayor Ben Hendriksen, also expressed support for the idea.

The matter will be back before council sometime before this winter. Hendriksen emphasized that the discussion is still in the early stages, and that council welcomes input from residents.