by Colin Smith
Have some ideas about how the Roseridge Waste Management Facility can be improved?
Now is the time to make your views known.
Upgrades to the Roseridge site are planned for the next couple of years, and a public engagement process has begun, aiming to gather ideas from residents of Sturgeon County and the municipalities within it to identify improvements that users would like to see.
A facility upgrade is due, according to Stephen Dafoe, Roseridge Waste Management Services Commission Chair.
“Roseridge opened 40 years ago when the Sturgeon region’s population and traffic at the landfill were far less,” he said. “Some years ago, the Commission of the day acquired land for future expansion, and it is now time to plan for the next 40 years.”
Ways to participate include submitting ideas online, taking part in live online workshops and attending drive-through events that also serve as community fundraisers.
“We want to hear from all stakeholders about what we are doing well and areas for improvement as we design upgrades,” said Roseridge Manager Susan Berry.
The engagement process runs until November 22.
At roseridge.ab.ca, participants can provide ideas on the improvement of various aspects of the facility, particularly the entrance and scale, recycling area, recycling materials and safety. The site features a survey and an interactive map.
“In this project, like any business or service, we need to think like our customers,” said Dafoe. “What is working well, what isn’t working well, and what opportunities they see that we may not have thought of.”
They want to know about your experiences when entering the facility and dropping off and sorting recycling, along with thoughts about the type of recycling accepted and dealing with potential risks and hazards and anything else that might improve facility users’ experience.
The web page also provides links to the online live workshops that will be conducted through Zoom. The workshops will take place on November 4 at 7 p.m., November 9 at 2:30 p.m. and November 19 at 7 p.m.
The drive-through engagement events give community residents a chance to learn, give feedback and support a local cause without having to leave their vehicles.
The first will take place in Morinville on November 6 from
3 p.m. to 5 p.m., with the location yet to be determined.
The event is also to help raise funds for Sturgeon Victim Services, and participants can bring electronics for recycling.
Similar events will be held in Legal, November 7, Sturgeon County, November 14, Redwater, November 15 and Gibbons, November 22.
Once the engagement process wraps up, the information will be compiled for the Commission to use in the planning and design process.
“All the feedback gathered will inform a project plan and scope of the improvements,” said Berry. “Things that are important to our customers and financially feasible will be incorporated into the concept design for our site.”
Following the development of a concept design, a detailed design is expected by mid-2021, with construction planned to start that fall and carry on into 2022.
“We hope that when the project is complete, and we celebrate a grand opening in 2022 or 2023, our community is proud of our facilities,” declared Berry.
“There is a great opportunity here to create a safe, efficient user experience for our residents dropping off solid waste and recycling, and the Commission wants to make sure we are building a facility that can serve the region well for the next 40 years,” Dafoe said.
