Sandra Wright sat in a neighbour's kitchen last week at Westwood Mobile Home Park and told friends about an encounter long ago between a former trailer park resident and an elected official.
“He was told, ‘It doesn't matter anyways, you guys don't count',” recalled Wright.
But the long-time Innisfailian, who has lived at the park for the past three years, underscored that much does matter with the more than 230 residents at the mobile home community, and that they do indeed count.
“We take as much pride in our community as any of the others in town,” said Wright.
And now, more than ever, they no longer want to be viewed as simple trailer “trash” and unworthy of attention. They now demand town council must listen to them.
“Just because we are in a trailer court we should not be treated as trash,” said Matthew Gumbie, a park resident for the past two years.
Anger from the mobile home park has been rising for more than three months since council approved the relocation of the waste transfer site from the town's southwest corner to a new two-acre site at the north end of the town yard near the intersection of 57 Avenue and 37 Street. Council's approval paved the way for the town to set aside $282,000 in the 2015 budget for the relocation and construction of the new facility.
The proposed new location has been heralded by town officials to have a significantly “greener” and more environmentally-friendly operation than the old site – one that will become more of a recycling and solid waste depot rather than a traditional “dump” that utilizes a noisy compactor and a smoke-billowing burn pit. But many residents counter a change in the terminology of the site will not alter how they feel about having a waste disposal facility within shouting distance from the park.
“We don't want a dump behind our home. None of the seniors want a dump behind their home,” said park resident Susan Corcoran, who like many, does not buy into the town's promise the new waste transfer site will be a huge modern-day leap over a traditional dump. “It is not a community for us with a dump behind our home.”
Although park owners sent council a letter last month outlining the concerns of its residents, and followed that up with a meeting, mayor Brian Spiller said neither presentation swayed the town to reverse its course, as controversial as it's become.
“He (company representative) had a lot of printed material and made a lot of good points. We listened to him but at this point we are still not looking at changing our decision,” said Spiller, who quickly added he's still prepared to listen to the residents. “If enough of them got together and approached us we would probably have an open house. We will listen to any citizen, or group of citizens. If they are getting themselves organized and want to come out to us we will of course give them the time of day to listen to them.
“I am always willing to reflect upon my decisions,” added the mayor. “I can't say all of us would be willing to change our decisions. I am always willing to change my decision but they have to give me solid proof or evidence of something that would force me to change my decision, or want me to change my decision.”
Coun. Doug Bos said last week he would propose to council at its regular July 7 meeting that the town set a date and place to meet with park residents and listen to all their concerns.
“I going to propose that we address all the issues in some fashion, whatever is the best fashion to do that, whether it is an open house or a private thing,” said Bos. “There may be others citizens that could be concerned who don't live in the trailer court.”
The residents' chief concerns about having a waste transfer site next to their park is the potential loss of property values, along with increased noise, smell, fire hazards, traffic and negative public perceptions about their homes and community. However, what has immediately angered residents the most is that they only learned about the town's plans through newspaper stories published this past spring.
“I would like to know where they (town) get the balls to make a decision without asking anybody first. I am terribly upset that they are going ahead and doing this without talking to us first,” said Diane Eisenbeis, a park resident for more than 17 years. “That is not fair. People who live in this quarter are already thought of as second-class citizens because we live in trailers. This is just a kick in the ass, totally.”
The park, which was created more than 30 years ago and now has a physical footprint of almost 18 acres, is the largest affordable housing area in town with about 250 citizens, about half whom live on low income, including many seniors.
Residents own their units but pay $460 a month to the park for lot fees, which goes to cover water and sewer costs, as well as garbage pick-up that is collected from large industrial communal bins.
Their park is zoned as a Residential Manufactured Home Park by the town, and is considered much like a privately-owned condominium complex where essential services like road maintenance – including snow clearing - is deemed the responsibility of park owners. Even still, residents still pay annual residential property taxes to the town, anywhere from $450 to almost $1,000. The town says those taxes pay for town services that are available to all citizens of the community, including police and fire department services, as well as the use of municipal park and recreational facilities.
But park residents still feel marginalized, countering they receive little for their tax dollars.
“We are paying plenty to this town and getting nothing for it,” said park resident Don Corcoran, who is organizing a Letter of Opposition campaign, complete with signatures, detailing residents' concerns that will be presented to town council. “I sometimes wonder if we had a fire, if the fire department would show up because they (town) don't seem to want to come here with anything else.”
Mostly though, it's the apparent lack of communication coming from the town since its April 28 approval to relocate the waste transfer site to the sprawling green space located just outside the park's perimetre that has riled residents the most. Many see years of investment – as much as tens of thousands of dollars in improvements for many units – about to take a huge nosedive on the housing market.
“It is a double kick. We have to put up with the garbage as well as loss of property value,” said three-year resident Dan Giesbrecht. “If you look at the property value of a trailer already people are not going to get their investment back. We sell a trailer and we almost always lose, and as soon as you put a waste transfer site here who is going to want to buy my trailer? It is going to cut my property value in half.”
In the meantime, residents said they welcome the mayor's offer to hear their concerns but for many it comes too late to restore lost faith that they too have an equal voice in the community.
“We are people too and we should not be looked at as nothing. We are humans just like the rest of the citizens in town,” said Giesbrecht. “I think he (mayor) should certainly own up to people and discuss with all of us prior to making decisions.”
