Yard Waste Collection starts in March

With Spring around the corner, the Region of Peel begins weekly Yard Waste collection the week of March 14, 2016. Our collection day in Clarkson/Lorne Park is Monday -- that means our first YW pickup is on Monday, March 14, 2016.

Of Note: -- Shredded paper can be disposed of with your yard waste!

Changes to Waste/Recycling Collection Schedule Now in Effect

As of the beginning of January 2016, the proposed changes to the weekly garbage and recycling schedule are now in effect.

The changes are as follows:

• collection day is now on Monday
• garbage and recycling collection is biweekly -- garbage one week and recycling the next
• visit  http://www.peelregion.ca/waste/collection-schedules 
• organics collection is weekly

We are now using the new waste, recycling and organics bins that were delivered in December. Each bin you received has a special code that is printed on the side indicating your address.

You selected either small, medium or large waste and recycling bins. If you have discovered that the size you chose is either too small or too large for the amount you put out every two weeks, you may contact the Region of Peel Wasteline by phone or through their website to change to a different size.

• Carts cannot be exchanged until April 1, 2016.

• From April 1 to April 30, 2016, cart exchanges are FREE

•  Starting May 1, 2016, an exchange fee of $25 per cart will apply (covers the cost to pick up and clean your carts and deliver and register new ones

What about the old blue bins and organics bins we used before? Go to http://www.peelregion.ca/waste/carts#carts-old-bins for more information.

Summer Bi-weekly Yard Waste Collection Now in Effect

From the beginning of July until September 24, 2015, your yard waste will be collected every second week. As usual, all yard waste must be in either specifically designed paper yard waste bags or in rigid, reusable and open bins labelled with a Region of Peel yard waste sticker (call 905-791-9499 for information on where to get these stickers). Please do not use plastic bags.

The following are accepted as yard waste:

• tree trimmings, branches
• grass clippings
• brush, hedge trimmings
• leaves
• shredded paper
• household and garden plants (soil removed)

Every household should have received the 2015/2016 Collection Calendar sometime earlier this year. In it, there is a pull-out page indicating which services will be provided each week for the whole year. Our collection day for Clarkson and Ward 2 is Tuesday.

The yard waste schedule for our area is:

• Tuesday, July 14 and 28
• Tuesday, August 11 and 25
• Wednesday, September 9 and Tuesday, Sept. 22

Remember that the collection of garbage, recycling and organics is still weekly for the remainder of 2015. If you want further or more detailed information regarding curbside collection, go to www.peelregion.ca/waste/collection-schedules#curbside.  

Birch Glen now on Google+

For many years now, we have maintained our website -- www.birchglen.com -- and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. The website and this blog have worked in tandem to attempt to keep our residents informed and up-to-date with news and events in the neighbourhood and in the general Clarkson and Lorne Park area.

Recently, we decided to incorporate Googe+ in our communication package. Basically, items posted on this blog will show up on our Google+ page. Any feedback will be appreciated. Over the next while, we will be contacting those residents whose email addresses we have to invite them to join our circle on Google+.

Do you think this is a good move? Would you prefer that we start a Facebook page instead? Please comment below.

Series of Talks for Residents of Ward 2 in April and May

As a Residents Association, we are constantly looking for talks or presentations that we think the residents of Birch Glen might be interested in hearing or discussing.  Unfortunately, we do not always have the time or location to make this possible. This has now changed -- for the better!

Our association -- the Birch Glen Residents' Association -- has joined a group of other resident and ratepayer associations called The South West Mississauga Ratepayers Associations. This umbrella group is dedicated to helping the diverse associations plan events which could benefit all residents of Ward 2, events which individual associations might have difficulty arranging on their own.

A new initiative of this group is a Spring Speaker Series of three presentations to be held in April and May at the Lorne Park Library, 1474 Truscott Drive (behind Lorne Park Secondary School). All residents are invited to attend these free talks. All talks are from 7:00 - 8:30 pm.

The talks and dates are as follows:

• Thursday, April 16: The PanAm/Parapan Am Games -- Betty Jo Parent, Manager, Logistics Support for Toronto 2015. This summer, the Pan Am Games will be held in various locations from Hamilton to Oshawa. Come out and hear what will be happening here in Mississauga and nearby.
• Thursday, May 14:  Estate Planing and Downsizing -- Richard Barrett BA, LLB, Barrister & Solicitor and Julie Morris, Real Estate Broker, Royal Lepage. Free legal and real estate advice and tips on how best to plan for downsizing to a smaller house or apartment.
• Thursday, May 28:  Shaping Mississauga --Matthew Wilkinson, Historian, Heritage Mississauga. A look at significant moments and times that have helped to shape our city.

Limited seating, so come early. The sessions are free. However, donations of food for the Compass would be appreciated. If you have questions, please leave a comment below.

Just 2 Days Remain to Select Waste & Recycling Carts!

If you have not done so yet, you have two (2) days left before the March 31 deadline to select which size of waste cart and recycling cart you wish to have.

Remember:  If you fail to make a selection online, the Region of Peel will deliver a pre-determined size of each cart based on the type of house you have! 

• Their choice for waste: --
• small for townhouses, row houses and attached houses; 
• medium for semi-detached houses; 
• large for detached houses.

• Their choice for recycling: --
• medium for townhouses, row houses and attached houses; 
• medium for semi-detached houses; 
• large for detached houses.

Keep in mind that the carts are much larger that our current green organics one. Think about where you are going to store the carts and just how much waste and recycling you put out in a two week period, since they will be collected on alternating weeks.

See our previous posts for information on how to order your carts online. 

Open House Tonight to Display New Waste Carts

The Region of Peel is holding an open house at the Clarkson Community Centre today, Thursday, February 26, from 4:30 - 8:30 pm to provide residents with an opportunity to view -- and possibly select -- the new waste and recycling carts. Although the carts do not come into use until January 2016, residents must choose which size they want by March 31, 2015.

If you miss this open House because of time or work constraints, there is another one this weekend (Saturday, February 28) at South Common Mall Community Centre. The carts will also be on display at Mississauga City Hall all next week, Monday, March 2 - Friday, March 6.

Remember to choose which size of each cart you want and/or need before the end of March!

New Waste Collection Carts Coming to Mississauga

We have posted information on our website -- in the News section -- about the new cart-based waste and recycling system that is coming to Mississauga and Peel Region. A snippet appears on the Home page of the Birch Glen website; this snippet takes you to the article. However, for those of you who use this blog, below is a copy of the video from the Peel Region website on this subject. For further information on this important news, please go to www.peelregion.ca/carts. Here is the video:

Happy Halloween

Whether you decorate your house to be scary or kid-friendly is up to you. Just remember that there could be anywhere from 25 to 125 children out on the sidewalks and streets of Birch Glen this Friday evening. Their safety and enjoyment is extremely important. Decorate, but make sure there are no tripping or fire hazards on your property.

New fireworks rules for Mississauga

Where can you set off fireworks on Canada Day?

Mississauga has instituted new rules for fireworks displays which limits where residents can set off private fireworks. See this article in the Mississauga News for details.

Briefly ... fireworks displays are permitted only on private property. They are not permitted on public streets at all, nor in public parks unless residents or groups apply for a special permit.

For those residents who want to celebrate Canada Day with fireworks, please abide by the new rules -- or go to Port Credit or Celebration Square to view the sanctioned public displays.

Whatever you do, have a happy and safe Canada Day!