The City of Vancouver will again allow clothing donation bins in the city, subject to a safety inspection. However, a temporary bin ban still remains in Pitt Meadows.
Pitt Meadows banned the bins in January this year, after the eighth fatality across Canada in a three-year period, where people were found dead inside of them.
One of the people who died was Anita Hauck, a homeless woman and prominent advocate for the homeless in Maple Ridge. Anita Place Tent City was named for her. She died when she became stuck in a clothing donation bin in Pitt Meadows in September 2015.
Carolyn Baldridge, Pitt Meadows manager of communications, said the ban is still in place, but is under review by city hall staff.
Bans also remain in Richmond, Burnaby and West Vancouver.
Pitt Meadows passed a motion “That council, direct staff to seek the immediate removal of all clothing donation bins within City of Pitt Meadows limits, and that City of Pitt Meadows place a temporary ban on all clothing bins within the city limits until such time as clothing bins are determined as no longer posing a threat to public safety.”
Maple Ridge chose not to impose a ban, noting the operators of the bins were taking steps themselves to ensure they are safe, such as keeping the bins indoors or in a controlled area, or removing bins that are of an unsafe design. The Developmental Disabilities Association removed 300 bins and replaced them with an older, but safer, design.
Maple Ridge city staff has been working with organizations to ensure their bins are safe.
In Vancouver, anyone who applies for a bin must get a business licence from the city and a written certification from a B.C.-accredited professional engineer that the construction, design and operation of the donation bin is safe. It will cost $58 to apply for a bin, and a licensing fee of $151 will apply annually.
@NeilCorbett18
ncorbett@mapleridgenews.com
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