OttawaThe Ottawa city councillor representing the area where the city is considering buying a landfill site says the process so far feels rushed and lacking in detail — including the potential price tag. ‘This is a very short window to engage residents,’ Isabelle Skalski saysGuy Quenneville · CBC News · Posted: Nov 18, 2025 1:28 PM EST | Last Updated: 1 hour agoListen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.City eyes new dump as Trail Road facility nears capacityThe City of Ottawa has placed a bid to purchase a landfill site on the city’s rural eastern outskirts but says it wants to get the public’s feedback first before making its next move. The councillor representing the area where the City of Ottawa is considering buying a landfill site says the process so far feels rushed and lacking in detail — including the potential price tag. “It’s a completely ridiculous way to engage people effectively on matters that impact their community,” Osgoode Coun. Isabelle Skalski told CBC’s Ottawa Morning earlier this week.Last week, the city disclosed through a report to its finance and corporate services committee that it has placed a bid on a rural property on Ottawa’s eastern outskirts. The fully permitted landfill site is located north of Devine Road between Boundary and Frontier roads, and is owned by Taggart Miller Environmental Services Inc.The city believes acquiring the land for use as an additional landfill could help with its long-term waste diversion goals as Ottawa’s Trail Road landfill nears capacity. But the potential acquisition is raising environmental and traffic impact concerns, as well as questions about why it’s being thrust so suddenly onto the public agenda.In its report to committee members, the city says it learned of the two-phase bidding opportunity “in early 2025,” and that it signed a non-disclosure agreement. The city says that agreement forbids it from revealing how much the site might cost to buy.The city submitted a “non-binding indicative proposal” and learned in September that it had been accepted, allowing it to move on to Phase 2. “While the process to date has been confidential, the city’s definitive proposal was submitted on the condition that the city would have the opportunity to receive public feedback prior to council deciding on whether or not to proceed with the transaction,” according to the report. Osgoode Coun. Isabelle Skalski listens during a meeting in her constituency office on Monday to discuss the city’s bid. (Jayden Dill/CBC)The public is being asked to provide feedback in the leadup to, and during, the finance committee’s upcoming meeting on Friday. That feedback will then be considered when city council meets on Nov. 26 to decide “whether to proceed with the acquisition.” City staff’s recommendation to councillors is simply that they “consider” the acquisition. However, if the city is directed by councillors to move ahead, staff would report back “on the outcome of any acquisition,” the report adds. “This is a very short window to engage residents,” Skalski said. CBC asked the city why the timeline is so brief, and how taxpayers can meaningfully weigh in on a project whose cost is unknown. The city said it could not comment until Friday’s meeting wraps. ‘It’s a no for me’Skalski said she could only discuss the process publicly after the city released its report to the finance committee. Since that happened last week, she’s put the word out on Facebook and met with a community association. Residents aren’t impressed, she said. One of them, Gaston Diotte, has lived in the area for 54 years and said he feels uneasy about the unknown cost.”It’s a no for me,” he said of the city’s confidential bid, adding he’s worried about the impact on traffic, and the potential smell wafting from the site. This is what the landfill site being eyed by the City of Ottawa looked like when photographed on Monday. (Antoine Allain/CBC)Skalski said it’s come as a surprise to residents that the site’s permit was changed in May 2024 to allow for the handling of residential waste. The site had previously been OK’d to handle commercial and industrial waste in 2017 following years of public consultation. Today the site appears empty, showing little sign of activity. “So it’s a surprise to learn that this site could become the next dump for the city,” she added.River Ward Coun. Riley Brockington, who sits on the finance committee, said he wants as much transparency from the city as possible. “Sometimes when a property is being considered either for purchase or sale, that is legitimately deemed an in-camera piece,” he said. “However, given the public nature of where we are at this time with a landfill, I think the public deserves to have as much information as possible.”Friday’s committee meeting offers an opportunity to have “a more open, engaged conversation on the merits” of acquiring the site, Brockington added. LISTEN | Skalski’s full interview on ‘Ottawa Morning’:Ottawa Morning7:28Ottawa in talks to buy east end landfillA privately owned site approved for use as a landfill on Boundary Road near Highway 417 is for sale to the highest bidder – and the city wants in. But even councillor Isabelle Skalski has some questions. Community members can offer their feedback this week.With files from Kate Porter, Jodie Applewaithe, Joe Tunney, Jayden Dill and CBC’s Ottawa Morning
Councillor blasts ‘completely ridiculous’ process around potential purchase of landfill site
