How a $350M yacht became part of the debate over Winnipeg's garbage collection
CBC
The head of the City of Winnipeg's largest union says he doesn't want taxpayer dollars funding a yacht for one of Canada's richest people.
Gord Delbridge, president of Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 500, brought a photo of the $350-million yacht — dubbed the "Lady Jorgia" — to a November meeting of city council's water and waste committee, in response to a report that compared Winnipeg's model of using private contractors to collect waste to cities that use a mix of private and in-house collection.
The big boat, according to the website superyachtfan.com, belongs to Patrick Dovigi — the Toronto-based founder and CEO of GFL Environmental, one of two private companies currently contracted for residential garbage collection in Winnipeg.
The yacht, with space for up to 14 guests, has a crew of 26 and costs $30 million a year to operate.
The CUPE president brought it up again at a Dec. 5 meeting of council's executive policy committee.
"I think that Winnipeggers would prefer to see their money stay there within the economy, not buying a $350-million yacht," Delbridge said at that meeting, where Mayor Scott Gillingham's inner circle debated a motion to bring a portion of the city's garbage collection back under its direct control.
The debate over public or private garbage collection sprouts up regularly at the city whenever the collection contracts come up for renewal.
It also draws out ideological differences among members of city council, which generally has a less partisan reputation than the Manitoba Legislature or the House of Commons.
Coun. Brian Mayes (St. Vital), the chair of the water and waste committee, wants to designate an area — roughly centred around Winnipeg's inner city — where the city's public service would retain collection services, before the next request for proposals for a garbage collection contract is issued.
The current contracts are coming to an end in 2027.
The motion, which he presented at the November water and waste committee meeting, was a response to frustrations of some councillors, particularly those representing the wards of Daniel McIntyre, Mynarski and Point Douglas, with dumping and excessive garbage in parts of the city.
Mayes, who was not at the Dec. 5 EPC meeting, argues city workers using city-owned equipment would be better able to respond to problems as they arise.
Gillingham disagreed.
"Maybe some people will be offended by this," the mayor said during the executive policy committee meeting.
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