Operations Manager Trainee

Virtual Town Hall introduces proposed changes to BASWR governance. BRUCE COUNTY - The July 7 Town Hall on Bruce Area Solid Waste Recycling (BASWR) governance provided information on proposed changes and the business case aimed at providing continued service by a sustainable, modernized organization in a municipal services corporation (MSC) format. By Pauline Kerr, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Walkerton Herald Times BRUCE COUNTY - The July 7 Town Hall on Bruce Area Solid Waste Recycling (BASWR) governance provided information on proposed changes and the business case aimed at providing continued service by a sustainable, modernized organization in a municipal services corporation (MSC) format. Facilitated by KPMG Canada, and moderated by Anne Lindsay of KPMG, the virtual Town Hall provided an overview of the background and business case, and gave those in attendance the opportunity to ask questions. The focus was on governance, but Lindsay was able to answer some of the questions that edged toward operations and service delivery. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Powered By Pamela Anderson hits out at Liam Neeson 'PR stunt' romance rumours BASWR came together in 1999 in a joint undertaking by seven Bruce County municipalities. What worked well in 1999, "was not designed to meet the increasing governance, financial and reporting requirements associated with today's operating environment." The province recently mandated changes to Ontario's recycling program, altering BASWR's role. As stated in Lindsay's presentation, this led to the decision on making a business case to "modernize and formalize" BASWR's legacy joint-undertaking model to "align governance, liability protection and decision-making with BASWR's current operating reality and future service needs." BASWR is now contracted by Waste Management to collect residential recycling. Making a strong business case for change in governance started with information gathering, said Lindsay. In addition to one-on-one meetings with CAOs, mayors and additional stakeholders, KPMG conducted a public survey that had 657 responses. Lindsay said the largest response came from Huron-Kinloss (29 per cent of the responses) with Kincardine at 18 per cent, Arran-Elderslie at 17 per cent and South Bruce Peninsula at 14 per cent. Brockton, South Bruce and Saugeen Shores residents also responded, although in fewer numbers. The major take-away from the survey was 88 per cent of respondents were satisfied with BASWR's services and reliability. Respondents "overwhelmingly noted consistent pickup service, as well as landfill being organized; staff were noted as helpful and respectful when interacted with." In addition, 72 per cent of respondents thought their municipality has "appropriate oversight" over BASWR, while 97 per cent thought "clear and well-defined oversight" is important. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Lindsay described the current "legacy" model as lean and efficient. Municipalities have been able to collaborate on shared service delivery and maintain local involvement in BASWR's governance and operating direction. However, there are limitations - the governance structure is not formalized, with unclear roles and decision rights. Council oversight is described as "inconsistent" and indirect. Financial and contractual risk requires clearer oversight, Lindsay said. As stated in her presentation, "While the current model has supported service delivery to date, it lacks the formal governance, financial structure, and accountability mechanisms required to support BASWR's future operating environment. Due to this, the BASWR member municipalities engaged KPMG to prepare a business case for the transition of BASWR to an MSC." Lindsay explained all seven members would be shareholders of the municipal services corporation (MSC). There would be articles of incorporation, and a board of directors. Her presentation stated that transitioning to an MSC provides an opportunity to modernize the governance and operating model to better align with evolving requirements. Roles would have clarity, with a distinction between municipal shareholders, board of directors, and management. At the same time, the MSC would preserve municipal control over major decisions. The shift to the current contract model provides greater revenue predictability than the prior commodity market, but it also involves budgeting, capital planning, reserves, retained earnings, dividends, contract renewal and reinvestment. An MSC provides a clear legal structure for BASWR to enter contracts, hold assets, employ staff, manage reserves and make financial decisions within defined municipal-approved limits. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW What's proposed is an MSC with a nine-member board of directors - one municipal representative (from council or community) from each shareholder, and two additional members. The board would provide oversight, while management staff would lead day-to-day operations. Major matters affecting mandate, ownership, financial exposure, service obligations, or municipal entry / exit would remain subject to approval by each member municipal council as shareholder. There would be an annual general meeting with annual audited financial statements, budgets and financial plans. Lindsay explained that each municipality would have its own service agreement with BASWR, since not all member municipalities employ BASWR to pick up waste. The MSC would be established under Ontario's Municipal Act 2001. A chart in Lindsay's slide presentation shows where key changes would occur. The most obvious, is in the annual capital and operating budgets which are now a council decision. That would shift to the new board of directors. Lindsay stated that KPMG's financial analysis has determined that the new BASWR MSC "can operate on a financially sustainable basis" for the next seven years - the duration of the Waste Management contract - with potential for contract renewal after that. The next steps over the coming year would involve the acceptance and endorsement of the business case by the member councils. That would be followed incorporating the MSC as a legal entity, form the board of directors, and establish the agreements that would provide legal protection for all parties. There were a number of questions from those in attendance. One involved operational changes, i.e. the possibility of more frequent recycling pickup. The answer was, this is now completely mandated by the province. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW There was a question about who would assume responsibility should there be a financial deficit. Lindsay answered that a deficit is not anticipated, based on the contract with Waste Management. Should that contract not be renewed, the entire operation would need to be changed or reconsidered. Another question involved risk to the partners. Lindsay explained that under the MSC model, decision making is delegated to the board. This is mitigated through the Shareholder Agreement. Any major financial decisions would be made by the shareholders. There was a question about revenues for municipalities. Lindsay said there would be revenues, and it would be up to the board how much is held in reserves and how much goes back to the municipalities. The proposed changes in governance will go to each municipality during July, and councils will have the opportunity for input. Additional information is available through member municipalities.

Circular Materials and WM announce new recycling facility to enhance recycling across Alberta. Alberta, news, partnerships. Posted on May 20, 2026. New recycling facility in Edmonton will improve environmental outcomes and advance the circular economy. Edmonton, Alberta, May 20, 2026 - Circular Materials has completed a robust and competitive procurement process to select a partner for post-collection services related to recyclable materials in Alberta. WM has been selected as a successful proponent, with plans to establish a state-of-the-art preconditioning recycling facility (PCF) in Edmonton. Circular Materials is the not-for-profit producer responsibility organization responsible for implementing and managing Alberta's extended producer responsibility (EPR) recycling system for packaging and paper products. The province's new recycling program is now 100% funded by producers - the companies that supply packaging and paper products to consumers in Alberta, including the familiar brands and retailers Albertans interact with every day. This means municipalities and taxpayers will no longer pay for recycling services as this cost will now be paid by producers. In April 2025, Circular Materials successfully launched Phase 1 of the province's new EPR recycling program. Starting October 1, 2026, the organization is excited to expand and enhance Alberta's recycling program through Phase 2 of the EPR program. This will include a new unified material list in Alberta that will help eliminate confusion and make it easier for residents to recycle no matter where they live. New materials include glass containers, foam packaging, flexible plastic packaging, aerosol containers, laminated paper and plastic packaging. Alberta's EPR program will make recycling easier for residents, improve recovery rates and help advance a circular economy in Alberta. WM will be opening a new facility in Edmonton in early 2027, featuring advanced mechanical and optical sorting technologies. The facility will expand the range of recyclable materials to increase material recovery and improve recycling quality. It will use integrated sorting systems that enable conveyors and optical sorters to communicate with each other and with technicians. This new facility will improve sorting accuracy, enhance material quality, and return materials back to producers for use as recycled content in new products and packing; significantly improving Edmonton's recycling capacity and infrastructure. "This marks an important step forward for recycling in Alberta," said Allen Langdon, CEO, Circular Materials. "Investing in advanced infrastructure enables us to build a more efficient and reliable system, accelerate innovation and deliver better environmental results for residents, communities and producers across the province." "This represents another step as Alberta moves forward on Extended Producer Responsibility," said the Honourable Grant Hunter, Alberta's Minister of Environment and Protected Areas. "The partnership between Circular Materials and WM will help develop a streamlined recycling system supported by advanced sorting technology." "Seeing this type of historic investment in our recycling and waste management system is a strong indication of what the circular economy can bring to our province," said Ed Gugenheimer, CEO of Alberta Recycling Management Authority. "Created in collaboration with industry stakeholders and government, it's exciting to see the extended producer responsibility framework deliver results for our province." The new and enhanced facility will: * More accurately identify packaging and paper products with the use of near-infrared and advanced optical sortation systems. * Deliver stronger environmental outcomes and ensure that more materials are recycled and transformed into new packaging or products. * Optimize transportation and logistics across the province. * Strengthen supply-chain partnerships. "This investment reflects our commitment to building a recycling system that better supports local communities," said Tracy Black, President of WM Canada. "By leveraging advanced sorting technology and WM's operational expertise, this facility is designed to improve material recovery, broaden the range of accepted recyclables over time, and help advance a circular economy." "Collaboration is essential to building a successful extended producer responsibility system," added Blaire Gaalaas, Circular Materials' Managing Director in Alberta. "Together with our partners, we are advancing a recycling system that improves recovery rates, promotes sustainability and makes recycling more effective and accessible for all Albertans." The facility will be owned and operated by WM. Funded by producers under the extended producer responsibility framework, this investment will benefit residents, communities, and the environment. About Circular Materials - Circular Materials is a national not-for-profit producer responsibility organization (PRO) that supports producers in meeting their extended producer responsibility (EPR) obligations across Canada. Created by producers for producers, Circular Materials develops, implements and supports effective and efficient recycling programs to advance innovation, deliver improved environmental outcomes and drive value across the recycling supply chain. Its full-service offerings include collection, management, promotion and education, and reporting. Together, Circular Materials is advancing the circular economy where materials are collected, recycled and can be returned to producers for use as recycled content in new products and packaging. As Circular Materials develop enhanced recycling systems across Canada, Circular Materials work to ensure more materials are looped into the circular economy, benefiting both people and the environment. Learn more at circularmaterials.ca. About WM - WM (WM.com) is North America's leading provider of comprehensive environmental solutions. Previously known as Waste Management and based in Houston, Texas, WM is driven by commitments to put people first and achieve success with integrity. The company, through its subsidiaries, provides collection, recycling and disposal services to millions of residential, commercial, industrial, medical and municipal customers throughout the U.S. and Canada. With innovative infrastructure and capabilities in recycling, organics and renewable energy, WM provides environmental solutions to and collaborates with its customers in helping them pursue their sustainability goals. In North America, WM has the largest disposal network and collection fleet, is the largest recycler and is a leader in beneficial use of landfill gas, with a growing network of renewable natural gas plants and the most landfill gas-to-electricity plants, as well as the largest heavy-duty natural gas truck fleet in the industry. WM Healthcare Solutions provides collection and disposal services of regulated medical waste and secure information destruction services in the U.S., Canada and Western Europe. To learn more about WM and the company's sustainability progress and solutions, visit Sustainability.WM.com.