Residents rally to help transfer station contractor
The cold weather has sparked some warm thoughts for an appreciated civil service contractor. The people of the lakes area northwest of the city are working on a gratitude project for their friend Darryl.
“Our local supervisor at the Chief Lake Transfer Station is the first we have had who actually gets out of his vehicle and helps open bins, heave garbage, maintain recycling, and shoots the breeze for as long as one wants,” said Trudy Mothus in an email she distributed to friends and neighbours in the area.
“But Darryl is facing winter. So we are looking for something that will provide him a shack.”
As is typical with other garbage dump contractors there over the years, Darryl sits in a running company vehicle in order to stay warm.
This practice is not ideal, said Mothus, and a following has grown around a community solution to this situation.
The area residents have rallied to find donated resources. Some have pledged lumber, a used camper was offered, and talks are now underway to determine the best choice. A work bee has been called to finalize the work.
“We are now looking for a few carpenter-type guys/gals who can do an old-fashioned Mennonitestyle barn raising on a Saturday or Sunday morning to raise (as small) shack that would include a two-foot work shelf at the front window end and perhaps a twofoot storage/coffee shelf at the back end with a door in the middle on one side,” said Mothus.
“That would leave space in the middle for a stool and be small enough to keep warm on the coldest days with a simple space heater.”
Mothus cautions that heating must be considered carefully. It has to be safe. Carbon monoxide is the chief concern with internal combustion engines. That’s one of the reasons (to say nothing of the greenhouse gas emissions) the organizers dislike the idea of the current situation of the transfer station supervisor sitting in a vehicle with the engine running each day.
“There are several problems with relying on this,” said Mothus.
“Leaks in the exhaust system can cause carbon monoxide poisoning if ventilation of the car’s interior is not safely managed. The wind can carry exhaust fumes up to the air intake of the heater, causing a build-up of carbon monoxide inside the car. Two other problems associated with using the car’s engine and heater are managing the fuel supply and preventing the engine from icing up when it is periodically started, warmed up, and then shut off.”
Anyone who can help is asked to drop into the transfer station or email Mothus at Trudy.Mothus@ unbc.ca.