Student councillors sworn in, new waste collection schedule, and questions about the proposed school for Florenceville-Bristol
During the Nov. 25 District of Carleton North (DCN) Council meeting, Deputy Mayor Karen Hargrove was appointed to oversee the swearing-in of the two newest members of their student councillor program. Sarah Harvey and Orrin Stockford will join the council this year, marking Harvey’s third term in the position.
The program, inaugurated in 2022, was established to “bring a student perspective to municipal discussions and decisions,” help develop leadership skills and an awareness of the democratic process, and “encourage responsible citizenship.”
“I would just like to thank the council for giving me this opportunity at such a young age,” said Stockford. “I think this is a very impactful position, and I will represent my school to the best of my abilities and will try to make a difference in my community.”
District agrees to new 2026 collection schedule
Mayor Andrew Harvey advised the council about the Western Valley Regional Service Commission’s proposed revised collection schedule, which would include weekly garbage pickup and biweekly recycling pickup. The new schedule is expected to start in the summer.
“It’s a bigger step with an extra cost,” said Mayor Harvey, “but it’s also a better service.”
Harvey said one of the main complaints they receive is that garbage is only picked up three times a month, with recycling on the off week, which becomes especially problematic in the summer months.
“We think weekly pick up will be better for our residents,” said Harvey.
Councillor Laurel Bradstreet expressed concerns about the extra cost.
“With this comes a bill of $104,000. It’s a lot of money for 12 extra pickups a year. With the property freezes going on, budgets need to be cut.”
Councillor Scott Oakes suggested that increased recycling pickup could help reduce costs.
“If [they] start coming to pick it up twice a month, we’re going to divert more recyclable materials that are currently going to the landfill, which should reduce our tonnage and reduce our fees.”
He also suggested that better public education could increase the number of items residents recycle, further reducing costs.
“[In the] short term, I think this is the way to go,” said Mayor Harvey.
However, he noted that, when the contract is up for renewal in 2027, alternative garbage collection options should be considered.
“We have over 1400 square kilometers squared to cover, which increases our cost for collection,” stressing that all options for better efficiency need to be looked into.
Council passed the motion to adopt the new collection schedule, effective July 2026. Negative votes were received from Councillors Laurel Bradstreet and Ryan Dickinson.
Update on K-8 school
The proposed K-8 school for Florenceville-Bristol announced by the province in 2023 was discussed at the council.
“This has been talked about the last couple of years,” said Mayor Harvey. “We were asked to look at zoning and extending the sewer system.”
He noted that the necessary information had been provided to the provincial government; however, they haven’t yet decided on a site.
“We believe there should be a school in Florenceville-Bristol. It’s been long talked about and it would be good for our students and staff to have that consolidation of kids into one brand new school. So hopefully the government will come to the table at some point and put it in their capital budget,” said Harvey.
