People use this North York street as an illegal dumping ground. Locals have had enough
CBC
Yunus Cetinkya and his coworkers prepare for the lunch crowd at Mustafa Restaurant, a Turkish spot in the Wilson and Dufferin area of North York.
They set up the tables, and place fresh baklava in a display window. They make sure to close the blinds on the eatery's east side before the customers arrive to keep them from seeing the garbage.
A dozen tires, broken furniture, multiple plastic judges, and other trash littered the grass and could be seen spilling onto the sidewalk down Garratt Boulevard across from Mustafa on Monday.
Cetinkya said the restaurant has lost some customers over complaints about the popular illegal dumping site.
"They're saying, 'when you eat… you shouldn't see some garbage, you shouldn't see something dirty,'" he said.
They're not the only ones upset.
Locals, including local business owners, told CBC Toronto they're pressing the city for a permanent solution to an illegal dumping problem they say has become chronic.
The Garratt Boulevard garbage pile is right next to a city sign that states those found dumping will be prosecuted and face up to $10,000 in fines.
It also states residents can report dumping by calling 311.
The current pile materialized over the last few weeks, but the issue has been a concern for a decade, said local resident Jeff Green.
"I have spoken to various city councillors. I've written probably 50 plus emails in 10 years trying to get this to be kept clean," said Green. "Nothing's worked."
He says that's evident from the current pileup.
"We have garbage pickup in this neighborhood on Wednesdays. Why not simply dedicate a truck to make sure… they also clean this up?" Green said.
"We pay enough taxes, to say the least. This should not be a problem."
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