Gaspé takes over non-residential waste management

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – Starting in January, the Town of Gaspé will take over the administrative management of waste collection for commercial, institutional and industrial sectors. 

Twelve years ago, the Town transferred this collection to the private sector with the contractor reaching an agreement with the customers regarding billing. 

However, circumstances have changed. “Everything was going relatively well until a year or two ago when the prices for waste collection skyrocketed,” says Mayor Daniel Côté. The Municipal Hall then started receiving complaints. “After seeing examples where bills were double, triple or even more, we said to ourselves ‘why not take it over’? We had it analyzed and, in the end, for businesses, industries and institutions, it would ultimately be cheaper for them to have these collections on their tax bill instead of dealing with the private sector,” explains the mayor. 

On September 16, the municipal council adopted a 90 day notice effective January 2025. A clause in the contract allowed the Town to do this. 

“It will still be Matrec that will do the collection, but instead of the business paying a bill to Matrec, they will pay it on their tax bill. In the end, it will end up being much cheaper for them in all the specific cases studied. The Town has fixed and global rates with Matrec, which allows for cost advantage savings,” calculates Mr. Côté. 

Residential pickup 

The general collection contract for residents will expire in a little over a year. 

Complaints have been decreasing, which indicates that the situation has been resolved after the contractor experienced many difficulties in carrying out the collection, including many delays. 

Given the surge in waste collection costs, the idea of municipalizing the collection will be analyzed again. 

“It was looked at last time and we arrived at similar costs, but entrusting it to the private sector removes a lot of management. The situation has changed. Probably before returning to the call for tenders, we will probably have an option to do it internally,” says the mayor. 

The Intermunicipal Waste Management Board would have to buy trucks and hire staff to collect and maintain the vehicles. 

“It has to be calculated in advance, but with what we’re seeing, with the number of complaints we’ve had for some time with the contractor in the last year and a half, with what’s happening in the industry and the trade with billing that has more than doubled, and with costs that have skyrocketed in the latest calls for tenders, the time has come to review once again and look at the best option,” says Mr. Côté. 

The options will include either managing it internally, having a call for tenders, or a combination of both scenarios. 

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