| Beautification of the Big White Waste Transfer Station |
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| Written by Todd Rempel |
| Tuesday, 08 December 2009 09:28 |
 If you happened to be at the Transfer Station last week, you will have seen a pack of kids from the local community school with paint brushes working away at painting some Big White scenery inside the building. You might also have been greeted by Neil Stuart and his {insert the part of the human anatomy where dogs love to stick their noses here} sniffing dogs. But there’s a reason that these dogs crave your scents meandering through their olfactory nerves- they’ve recently been deprived of the rich odour wafting out of the building that has satisfied their cravings for the last few years. And they have their owner to thank for that!Neil Stuart has recently taken over the task of “cleaning up” the Transfer Station at Big White. Never heard of it? All-right- let’s back up. The Big White Waste Transfer Station is located on the road to Big White, about two klicks West of the entrance to Snowpines. The service is operated by the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary, and it’s primary purpose is to service the Big White community by accepting household garbage and recyclables. In the past, the station has been neglected, and it was a place that most of us avoided as much as possible. Due to the large furry animals that reside in the area (not Neil’s dogs – we’re talking much larger, furry animals), you drive your vehicle right inside the building and the door closes behind you so that you can deposit your garbage in safety (as long as the large furry things didn’t sneak in while the door was open) As you might imagine, the inside of that building got pretty high – nothing like driving with your windows open for 5 minutes in freezing temperatures in an attempt to get rid of the smell that permeated your vehicle in the few seconds that the door was open. Enter Neil and his dogs.  The wall that the children have just finished painting was necessary to stop people from throwing their garbage behind the containers. Neil also visits the site daily to give it a "once over"- something that hasn't happened in the past. New signage and an increased effort to raise public awareness on how the site operates (not to mention the flower pots installed around the entrance during the summer) have all added up to make visits to the Transfer Station much more pleasant. OK, now your thinking- “Can anyone at Big White use it?” and, “how much does it cost? Yes, anyone can use it, and although it seems free enough when you go there, the residents, property owners, and resort taxes pay for the service. But be aware that there are restrictions on what is accepted at the station, and you’ll have more than Neil’s dogs chewing your backside if you dump illegally. Household garbage, and the standard recycling is all that is accepted. No hot tub lids, sofas etc.. Basically, if it’s household garbage and fits in the blue compactors, then your good to go. If you would like more information on what the Transfer Station is all about, or specific details on how and what is accepted, visit The Worx Community Guide and click on the Kootenay Boundary Big White Recycling ad. Neil has asked that we make special note that the large blue containers in the station are not open on the top like a regular bin. This means that when you throw your garbage way up on top (you know who you are...) it doesn't go inside the bin. It goes right over and onto the ground! You must open the small door on each container to deposit your trash. As taxpayers we each own a small part of this facility, so lets all do what we can to take care of it. |