I want the flyers in my mailbox! I have been a resident of St. Albert since 1975. Never has there been a more ridiculous motion put forward by a councillor as the one that Coun. Natalie Joly has, asking administration to draft a flyer opt-out bylaw. How would a bylaw officer enforce this?
Those residents who don’t want flyers can put a note on their mailboxes to not receive flyers. Simple! I would like Joly to make public how many residents have contacted her about the flyer opt-out – 50? 100? 500? 1000? to justify her motion. Our city council should be working with businesses in St. Albert, not against them, to ensure that they thrive in these difficult times. Have the four members of council who voted in favour of the motion not noticed how many businesses have already left St. Albert? The carriers, who are residents of St. Albert, could potentially lose their jobs. Is Joly willing to find them another job? Joly’s argument that the flyer opt-out program will help reduce St. Albert’s environmental footprint is nonsense. I go through all the flyers to see where the best prices are for certain items and groceries. I recycle my flyers in the blue bag when I’m done with them as I’m sure many other residents do. I am doing my environmental duty! Am I to assume that those residents who may get flyers in their mailbox are not recycling them in their blue bag?
Joly needs to focus on more important issues affecting us taxpayers. We do not need a bylaw for flyer opt-out! Our city council needs to show some common sense regarding this potentially damaging motion for our businesses and affected employees.
Sylvia Bilsky, St. Albert
