Action Laval, citizens urge mayor to hold public consultation on bi-weekly garbage collection
Posted February 26, 2026 10:05 am.
Last Updated February 27, 2026 4:08 pm.
A Laval opposition councillor and a local resident are calling on the mayor to reconsider his refusal to hold a public consultation on the city’s planned shift to bi-weekly garbage collection starting April 1.
David De Cotis of Action Laval and citizen Wael Hamdar sent a joint letter to the mayor this week, arguing that growing public opposition warrants an open discussion.
Action Laval, led by Achille Cifelli, is the official opposition at Laval City Hall.
Their request comes as a citizen petition to maintain weekly garbage pickup approaches 9,000 signatures. The petition is expected to be formally tabled at Laval’s March municipal council meeting.
“When nearly 9000 people express their discontent by signing a petition, the least we can do is open a dialogue. Refusing any consultation in this context sends the message that citizens’ opinions do not count,” said De Cotis.
Action Laval notes that the decision to reduce collection frequency was announced in June 2025 without prior public consultation. A proposal for a public consultation submitted by De Cotis last July was rejected.
“Persisting in refusing a public consultation gives the impression that the decision is already set in stone, regardless of the concerns expressed. At this point, the mayor must explain why he chooses to ignore this citizen voice,” said Hamdar.
Laval city officials told CityNews in a statement:
“This decision is based on clear obligations, evidence and a shift that is already well underway. Laval is the last of Quebec’s ten major cities to initiate this change, to comply with the 9th action of the 2024-2030 Metropolitan Residual Materials Management Plan, which provides for a maximum of 26 garbage collections per year by December 31, 2027. These changes have also become inevitable in a context where recycling, composting and green waste collections have multiplied over the years.
Other concrete actions will be put in place to facilitate the changes and support the population in this transition. The volume of the blue bin can be adjusted on request if a smaller volume is no longer suitable thanks to improved sorting behaviours. In denser areas, various measures are also planned, including the validation and adjustment, if necessary, of collection equipment in buildings with 24 or more dwellings, support for owners and the conversion of certain buildings to containers.”
