Calgary's new single-use items bylaw should be composted

Calgary’s presumed one-term mayor Jyoti Gondek is not popular. In fact, her approval rating is historically bad, currently sitting below 30%. 

When Mayor Gondek isn’t declaring climate emergencies, declining to attend menorah lightings, failing to tackle crime, botching arena deals only to sign more expensive arena deals, or giving herself a raise while increasing your property taxes, it would appear that she spends her time conjuring up new ways to irritate Calgarians while failing to tackle the actual issues people are struggling with.

You might be aware that a federal court recently ruled that the Liberal government's move to deem all plastics as toxic substance as part of their single-use prohibition strategy was unconstitutional. While most breathed a sigh of relief and wondered if this meant they wouldn’t have to drink their beverages through a soggy newspaper anymore, for Gondek it apparently meant that Calgary needed a single use bylaw of its own to tackle all these problematic forks and straws people are using… for sustenance. Oh, and the bags you’ve been using to get food and purchased goods home — those problematic things would also be addressed.

The City of Calgary spent quite a bit of energy on a webpage dedicated to explaining the new convoluted bylaw and highlighting how this is all very voluntary and nothing like the defeated Liberal ban, before proceeding to list the minimum charges businesses must involuntarily include on items. Like 15 cent fees for a new paper bag that must contain 40% recycled materials, or an increased minimum charge for a reusable bag of $2. How increasing the price of a reusable bag helps the environment is beyond me. Not to mention the fact that not that long ago we were switching from paper to plastic to save trees… what happened to that?

The bylaw also lays out a series of criteria stipulating that a customer must formally request, say, a fork, (even if it is one of those newfangled biodegradable ones) to eat their salad. It then goes on to list all of the ways businesses can earn themselves $250 fines for doing things like supplying a spoon without one being officially requested, or giving a customer a free bag to hold all the goods they just bought while supporting the owner's business.

That is the biggest problem with the City of Calgary’s much lamented new bylaw: if these were suggestions to help mother nature out, some businesses would be on board and take the suggestions. Some wouldn’t, and that is okay. Choice is good. But it is a lie that any of this is voluntary, and it is plain to see that activists like Mayor Gondek or Prime Minister Justin Trudeau don’t want you to choose. They want you to comply with their legally mandated personal agendas, or else be fined… or worse.

There are more problematic parts to this bylaw than we can possibly include here, so feel free to check it out for yourself on the City of Calgary website by clicking here.

Everyone from business owners to customers and even Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has come out to call out the burdensome bylaw.

Rebel News was on location at Fresh & Local Market & Kitchens to speak with owner Darrell Komick about the feedback he’s received regarding implementation of the bylaw, how it has adversely impacted business and quality of customer service, and how the increased costs are affecting customers and businesses alike.

This is a wildly unpopular bylaw, brought forth by an equally unpopular mayor. There is no telling whether it will survive the backlash it faces, or if Calgary City Council will have a common sense moment and repeal it, but rest assured that as pressure continues to rise from business, consumers and politicians alike, we will bring you updates as this story develops.

If you are tired of environmental radicals using climate hysteria to increase costs without doing anything tangible to help the environment, reject the environmental reset by signing our petition at NoGreenReset.com.