The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Jonathon Naylor Editor Two decades ago, with the environmental movement still somewhat in its infancy, Deb Odegaard found herself standing at the Ross Lake Market Garden. There, she and a few other earth-conscious volunteers had gathered at a semi trailer, accepting discarded paper to be shipped to Winnipeg for recycling. Though they didn't know it at the time, they were pioneers. From their efforts grew a community recycling program _ complete with the Flin Flon Recycling Centre _ that continues to flourish. 'It's been an incredible journey with lots of ups and downs and so many people willing to partake and give along the way,' says Odegaard, chair of the Flin Flon and District Environment Council, which oversees community recycling. Odegaard and about 160 guests gathered at the Creighton Community Hall last Friday, Nov. 2, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of community recycling. A cabaret-style concert was highlighted by the formal shredding of the mortgage for the Recycling Centre, which had been paid off just one day earlier. Among those applauding the moment was Mayor George Fontaine. 'In this day and age, when we see what it takes to keep a landfill running, it makes recycling all that much more important,' he told the crowd from the stage. 'The individuals that put in the time...have been just a real boon to the community.' It was back in November 1992 when Odegaard and her fellow volunteers organized their makeshift paper drop-off point. 'We would be open to collect paper one Thursday and Saturday a month _ unless it was too cold,' she recalls. 'During the winter months, we sometimes went two or three months (without collecting). I remember opening one time in February and taking over an hour in a hot bathtub to warm up afterwards.' But the frigid weather was only one problem, as the Environment Council was not equipped with the proper tools. This meant volunteers had to cram all of the recyclables in boxes by hand. 'It was fairly labour-intensive,' says Odegaard. 'We would pack it all into little boxes and when our trailer was full enough, we would bring in another trailer and we hand-packed every little box into the big trailer and sent it off to Winnipeg.' But things got easier. In December of 1994, the Environment Council was able to headquarter the recycling program indoors at 7 Timber Lane. The move came on the heels of a strong market for recyclables as well as a growing shift toward recycling within the community. See 'Supportive' on pg. 11 Continued from pg. 7 That shift continued in 1996, the year the council secured a loan _ not from a bank, but from a supportive resident _ that allowed the Recycling Centre to move across the street to a permanent home at 6 Timber Lane. For $35,000, the council gained a very suitable facility. The former headquarters of a moving company, 6 Timber Lane offered plenty of wide open space as well as a built-in loading area. But that was not the only big step forward in 1996. 'At this point, Flin Flon City Council was asking us lots and lots and lots of questions, and I guess they felt like we were here to stay,' says Odegaard. 'That year, they gave us $65,000.' With the money, the Environment Council purchased some much-needed tools of the recycling trade. The Recycling Centre soon had its own truck and mechanical bailer, used to compress recyclables before they are shipped for processing. The truck would eventually be used for a business pick-up program, bringing in more recyclables, and thus, more of the revenue that comes from selling those materials to companies. The $65,000 from the city also included the final grant payment from the municipal government for the centre's new forklift Ñ another necessary tool. To meet a steadily growing demand, the hours of the centre increased over the years, as did the selection of materials accepted. With growth came the need for more staff and revenue, and in 2004 the Environment Council secured a city contract to operate the municipal landfill. Also that year, the centre moved into its third and current building, purchasing the Eecol Electric complex on Timber Lane for $160,000. But for every milestone there has been an obstacle. In both 2007 and 2008, the centre required municipal bailouts to stay afloat amid challenging financial times. Staff were also disappointed to watch the volume of recyclables drop for the first time in 2008, and for the second time in 2009, before beginning an upward trend in 2010. Throughout its history, the recycling program has processed an impressive 4,528 tonnes of material _ a weight equivalent to more than 600 school buses. It has also helped shape public habits. Whereas perhaps 10 per cent of residents were recycling in 1992, today that number is estimated at about 33 per cent. Odegaard says the value of the Recycling Centre cannot be understated. 'Having this facility here means we're a more modern community,' she says. 'I think we've reduced our impact on the earth.' Interestingly, Odegaard doesn't think that it was ever the goal of the Environment Council to establish its own recycling program. But that's just what they ended up doing. And, 20 years ago at the Ross Lake Market Garden, from quite humble beginnings.
