In the 10 years since Kathy Bird has lived on Manitoba Avenue, she's lost count of just how many times her garbage and recycling bins have gone missing.
"For my garbage bins, maybe about three or four times, and my recycling, about three times,” she said.
She never got around to replacing her garbage cart the last time
"I have to pay for them, and I just can't afford it. It's ridiculous,” Bird said.
The city doesn't cover the cost of lost or stolen bins, only damaged ones. Replacements cost $61, plus a $25 delivery fee if you can't pick them up.
The city said stolen bins have been on the rise over the last few years. In 2016, staff had about 750 requests to replace stolen carts. That's up from 728 in 2015 and 697 in 2014.
Coun. John Orlikow (River Heights-Fort Garry) called for a study on the costs of covering swiped bins.
He doesn't think residents who have done what they can to protect their carts should be on the hook for the replacement costs.
"As long they've secured it, they've made a police report as such, which is the legitimizer, I believe they've done their jobs. They're good stewards of the bins and they shouldn't be penalized for that,” he said.
As it stands right now, the $86 to get a new garbage cart is too steep for not only Bird, but her neighbours too.
So for now on, the community shares bins to avoid a garbage build-up.
"I've been recycling as much as I can and asking a certain neighbour if they don't have too much in theirs,” neighbour Charlene Bird said.
