Citizens of the Saint-Marc neighborhood in Shawinigan have been complaining for months that a veritable dump is developing behind a building.
Among other things, there are six sofas, a television, a mattress, and that’s without counting two containers and four garbage bins overflowing with rubbish, which explains the hundreds of pieces of waste also found on the ground.
This lot on Dollar Street doesn’t look much like a parking lot anymore.
According to citizens, the owners of the St-Marc restaurant, located right next door and now closed, seemed to have an agreement with the owner of the building where the containers are located to use them. Since its closure, no one has taken care of emptying them.
Waste attracts flies and vermin and gives off strong, foul odors. Pascal Thiffault lives in the building just behind the dump. “I get up in the morning, it stinks. […] You can’t even imagine how many flies I have in the house.”
As July 1 approaches, neighbors are concerned that the situation will escalate. Citizens seem to bring their debris in at night, making it difficult to warn them.
The area is dangerous for children playing in the parking lot. Within two meters, we found two sharp-tipped knives. Some neighbors even say they saw syringes through the debris.
At the City of Shawinigan, we have been working to advance the file since last February. She even had the containers emptied once. However, without the owner’s cooperation, it is difficult to resolve the problem. However, two notices were sent to the owner, as well as a ticket. They have gone to the registry stage to seek an injunction so that they can pick up what is on the ground.
The JD Goulet company, right next door, tries to take some waste from each garbage collection and put it in its bins, but it only takes a few days for the situation to deteriorate again.
