A councillor gets his hands dirty

Rideau-Goulbourn councillor Scott Moffat was on a trip to Montreal when he started getting the e-mails. Some residents had heard the city is toying with the idea of bi-weekly garbage pickup. They were not amused.

That's when Moffatt's wife Jill had a novel idea. Why not try it out at home, to see if a young family of four (soon to be five), with all its dirty diapers and other non-recyclables, really can get by on less frequent curbside collection?

The Moffatts got militant about recycling. Their green bin filled up fast. Their garbage can didn't. It's only been two weeks, but it's working. Bi-weekly collection won't be a problem for the Moffatts.

Something else is working: The councillor is finding it's a lot easier to speak to people about the merits of waste diversion. Maybe it's his retail experience shining through, but he's smart enough to know he can't sell an idea to constituents if he doesn't believe in it himself. Not everyone will agree with him, especially in a rural ward like his. But at least Moffatt can say he knows what he's talking about.