District Services

Environmental management

Recycling

In British Columbia, the provincial government mandates solid waste management/recycling to the regional district (of which the municipality is part of). However, Taylor leads the way in this regional program in a number of ways:

  • The annual financial contribution of $95,123 from Taylor equates to a per capita payment of $85.14. Far above the equivalent per capita contributions from any other incorporated community in the region.
  • Sureway Construction provides a prominent location for recycling bins conveniently located within the community in a conscious effort to ensure maximum recycling effort by our residents. Cardboard, plastics, tin, milk jugs, glass are all accepted.
  • The District, with a two can per week municipal waste limit, provides the strictest limitations in the region to promote reduction within the waste stream and encourage recycling (e.g. Fort St. John provides for a 4 can pick up).
  • Recycling programs exist in all District facilities including Peace Island Park with any collected proceeds being turned back to local charities.
  • In 2003, the District imposed a total ban on the inclusion of cardboard in municipal waste stream. Council and the vast majority of our residents continue to support the maximization of our recycling efforts.
  • The District provides the infrastructure and promotes an annual garage sale in order to ensure maximum re-use of items and reduce the potential for material to go into the municipal waste stream. On average, this effort results in 20 to 30 tables being utilized within the Community Hall.
  • The District office is a recognized drop off for clothes to be picked up and utilized by the Diabetes Society. As well, Sureway Construction also collects gently used clothes and donates them to Goodwill.
  • The District utilizes its monthly newsletter as an educational tool to promote a number of environmental management concepts throughout the year (e.g. recycling, composting, water management/conservation).

Compost - Municipal

Currently the District either mulches or composts the vegetative material generated by all municipal departments including the golf course, parks, and administration. The District also makes a concerted effort through a spring clean up program to remove yard waste from the municipal waste stream. Our Municipal composting program that is located at the Golf Course Maintenance Yard. The program allows residents to compost sod, grass & leaves and vegetative waste. The compost material is then used as a soil ammedment or for flower and shrub beds. As well, personal compostors are for sale through this program and were promoted through seminars with the local Northern Environmental Action Team (NEAT).

Canfor Taylor Pulp Mill

The District has for many years, supported a pilot project by Canfor Taylor Pulp Mill to compost pulp effluent for possible use as a farm fertilizer.

This involved considerable testing on small plots and the subsequent documentation to satisfy the Ministry of Environment that:

  • The composted material was safe for public use; and
  • Performed the use intended (soil supplement)

In 2002, this material received approval to evolve past the onsite testing stage and is now being utilized by select local farmers to increase productivity yields of their farms.

Large Scale

Movement of this material creates considerable non-toxic odours throughout the community. However, Council continues to support this initiative in the face of resident concerns because of the temporary nature of the offensive odour (one to two weeks/year) in relation to the process ability to reduce the amount of stockpiled effluent/trailings in an environmentally friendly and productive manner.

Integrated Pest Management Plans

There are Integrated Pest Management plans in place for both the Parks Department and Lone Wolf Golf Club. These Integrated Pest Management plans were developed in cooperation with the BC Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, to ensure that the diligent use of pesticides was maintained by developing Economic Thresholds (ETs) for all District green spaces and ensuring that best management practices were followed.

As such, the preferred method of management of noxious and nuisance weeds, in order of priority, are:

  1. Cutting and/or physically removing the weed (i.e. hand roguing, burning and mowing).
  2. On larger properties, tilling under prior to going to seed and the planting of competitive vegetation (e.g. Local grasses, etc).
  3. In conjunction with raising the cut height of our mowers to maximize plant density and increase water retention of resident vegetation.
  4. Aerating, top dressing and over seeding combined with fertilization.
  5. Spot spraying.
  6. Broadcast spraying to certain major infestations.

We will always promote the benefit of a healthy lawn over a treated one.

Best Management Practices, Water Quality & Management

Using predetermined best management practices (BMPs) we have established economic thresholds for weed, insect and fungal invasions throughout all of the Districts green spaces.

Our goal is to continue the promotion of BMPs (raising height of cut, healthy lawns, etc.) amongst our homeowners while simultaneously increasing mechanical and cultural practices in an effort to achieve zero or minimal pesticide use in our District.

Spraying for insects is not done within the District. This has not changed even with the onset of the West Nile Virus. The District consciously utilizes natural or mechanical methods to control mosquito larva. Primarily, this involves the stocking of all ponds with rainbow trout and eliminating or reducing standing/stagnate water bodies. As well, the golf club uses aeration fountains to disrupt the breeding cycles of resident pests and enhance the aesthetic quality of their functional ponds.

Given the inability for fish to winter in the ponds, at the end of the season we attempt to maximize the productivity of the ponds by holding a number of fishing days for the children of the community. We would ask you to note that, while these artificially constructed water bodies are relatively new, we are striving to manage their evolution to a "natural state", given the importance of riparian zones to the pond ecosystem. Further, all irrigated areas use Evapotranspiration rates to establish water cycles.

Air Shed Management

Due to the nature of the industry in our community, Taylor, the Ministry of Environment and all industry within our community have come together to form the Taylor Air Shed Management Committee.

All members (excluding the Ministry of Environment) contribute financially to the operation of this committee and ongoing monitoring of H2S, SO2 and particulate matter throughout the community.

The monitoring has also confirmed that there is minimal concern regard particulate matter, NO and NO2. As a result, the Ministry of Environment has declared that our air shed does not need or require a formal air shed management plan.

Other Environmental Initiatives

  • The District recycles cooking oil at all municipal facilities.
  • Burning is tightly regulated and monitored by the Fire Chief for the District.
  • The requirement that the Fort St. John Stock Car Association develop and implement an environmental management plan to recover and utilize used motor oil.
  • The Golf Course General Manager has enrolled the Golf Course in the Audubon Program that will compliment the District mandate to maintain natural areas, promote wildlife enhancement and educated residents and user groups through seminars and workshops.
  • Lone Wolf Golf Club has worked with Ducks Unlimited to create best-practices management planning in and around the course.