Residents of Metro Vancouver are being urged to rake up fall leaves before the rain begins, but they should be careful how they to do it.
Not only does improperly disposing of leaves come with a stiff fine, but it is also extremely dangerous. Of course, wet leaves left in piles anywhere where people walk is dangerous; however, the City of Vancouver has a detailed set of guidelines to follow that ensures they are properly disposed of.
For example, residents are prohibited from blowing or raking leaves onto the street, catch basin, sidewalk, boulevard, or bike lane. Doing so can cause flooding and is also a safety hazard to people walking or cycling.
What’s more, if you are caught doing this you may get slapped with a hefty fine of up to $10,000. This is because raking or blowing leaves onto the street is a fineable offence under the Street and Traffic By-Law. As such, you’ll want to ensure that you put your leaves in the designated Green Bin.
As part of its fall leaf program, the city coordinates extra leaf collection for residents with Green Bin service.
Worried about the sheer amount of leaves on your property?
Leaves that don’t fit in your Green Bin are collected city-wide on a series of weekends.
2018 extra leaf collection schedule:
October 27 to 28, 2018
November 17 to 18, 2018
December 15 to 16, 2018
January 12 to 13, 2019 (Christmas trees will also be collected)
Tips for ensuring pick-up
Put extra leaves into paper bags or store-bought bins. Crews will only collect extra leaves that are set out in paper bags or store-bought bins.
Leaves may be collected on Saturday or Sunday (not both days). Set out your leaves for collection before 7:00am on the scheduled Saturday to avoid a missed collection.
Store extra leaves in a dry or covered area before setting them out for pick up.
Download the VanCollect app for collection reminders to avoid missed collections.
Other things to consider:
Green Bins will not be emptied on extra leaf collection weekends.
Do not use plastic bags of any kind. Leaves set out in plastic bags will not be collected
