Smelling a looming problem, YK declares dog poop amnesty

The City of Yellowknife will give residents four days to dump as much dog poop as they like next week, hoping to head off the worst of a spring melt that ordinarily proves far too revealing.

Yellowknife’s trails, sidewalks, and even some back yards are notorious for the sludgy mess of dog excrement that appears as the snow melts away each spring.

This year, with freedom of movement unusually curtailed and the city’s dump closed during the Covid-19 pandemic, residents had been wondering where the resulting lakes of poop would go.

While the City had told residents to throw dog deposits in black garbage carts for now – ordinarily a huge no-no – administrators have now realized the scale of the problem and switched to a new plan.

For four days next week, a big bin will be placed outside the dump for residents to throw away as much dog poop and as many honey bags as they can collect.

The City, perhaps recognizing most residents’ social calendars are depressingly bleak right now, dubbed it a “dog waste collection event.”

In a news release, City Hall said it “encourages residents to use this opportunity to dispose of large amounts of dog waste that may have accumulated over the winter months.”

From Tuesday to Friday next week, a bin placed near the dump’s entrance will be available from 7:30am till 4:30pm daily.

The City said it’s for dog waste and honey bags only. Nothing else can be dumped there.

‘Avoid stockpiling poop’

“We Yellowknifers love our dogs but the annual spring poop clean-up is not so loveable,” the City quoted senior administrator Sheila Bassi-Kellett as saying.

“The City is responding to residents’ needs to deal with a winter’s worth of waste cleanly and safely. Thank you to everyone for continuing to hold on to all non-essential waste for the interim.”

Residents are asked to keep their distance from each other while dropping off waste.

After next week, the City says you should go back to throwing dog poop in your black bin until further notice – and “avoid stockpiling large amounts.”

And if May is also blank in your schedule, mark your calendar: the City promises a second “dog waste collection event” early next month, alongside a spring amnesty at the dump.

“Residents are encouraged to plan their waste management strategies around these events and dates will be released in the coming weeks,” the City said.

There you go, something to occupy your weekend. Happy waste management strategy planning!