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Loose garbage ending up in farmer’s field

Shopping bags, plastics and all sorts of other trash scattered about … that’s scene on farmer’s field on the south side of Highway 18 just past Range Road 264.
Farmer Nick Jonk is calling on the Town of Westlock to help him clean up garbage scattered through his field.
Farmer Nick Jonk is calling on the Town of Westlock to help him clean up garbage scattered through his field.

Shopping bags, plastics and all sorts of other trash scattered about … that’s scene on farmer’s field on the south side of Highway 18 just past Range Road 264.

And for Nick Jonk, the man who farms that land, the garbage is standing in the way of his livelihood as the field is set to be seeded any day.

“We farm the land, otherwise I couldn’t give a damn,” said Jonk. “I care. I’m a clean farmer and we farm 4,000 acres right here.”

It’s unknown where the garbage has come from, but Jonk is confident it’s coming from drivers taking trash to the landfill just past his land.

“It’s people coming from town, going to the nuisance ground with not properly covered loads,” Jonk said, adding he feels garbage also comes from the town’s snow piles where the town dumps snow cleared from the streets.

It’s not the first time Jonk says he’s dealt with garbage on his field, but he said this year, it’s the worst it’s been. The frustration has mounted and now Jonk is calling on the town to fix what he claims is their problem.

“They won’t admit they have a problem,” said Jonk. “I feel it’s the town responsibility to clean up garbage from people going to the nuisance ground.”

Jonk said he’s asked the town for manpower to help him clean up, but they’ve declined.

“It’s private property. The Town of Westlock will not clean up private property. It is private property, but at the same time, it’s not the landowner’s responsibility,” he said.

“I need the manpower, but at the same time, I need respect from the town to say that there’s a problem.”

CAO Dean Krause said that Jonk did inquire about the issue, but said while sympathetic, it’s not the town’s responsibility.

“The town does not send our staff onto private land to clean up garbage. That’s the responsibility of every landowner,” Krause said.

“The town cleans our municipal properties and the roads. We definitely sympathize with him, it’s obviously not his garbage, but it’s not the town’s garbage either, but it ended up in his field.”

Jonk said he’s just looking for some help to get the garbage out of the way so he can start farming. He said he’ll now have to figure out another way to clear the field.

“You get 20 people, it’s a matter of four hours or something like that,” Jonk estimated.

“The town’s not doing anything so I have to move on to Plan B.”

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