Stick bagging plenty of support for bylaw

The great plastic bag debate is off and running in Whitehorse, after city council approved a motion calling for a bylaw banning the distribution of shopping bags.

The great plastic bag debate is off and running in Whitehorse, after city council approved a motion calling for a bylaw banning the distribution of shopping bags.

Coun. Jan Stick tabled her motion calling for the ban at Tuesday evening’s council meeting. Debate ensued amongst council members, and the matter is now up for introduction as a bylaw at a future council meeting.

Stick told the Star she is encouraged by the positive reaction she has received in the last week, from consumers and business owners alike.

“Some businesses in Whitehorse have already taken up the challenge,” she said in a prepared statement.

Stick also told council Canadians use an estimated nine billion to 15 billion plastic bags each year.

Since they’re made from non-renewable resources, she said, the bags can take 1,000 years to break down, clogging landfills.

“Our landfill is inundated with this white pollution,” she said.

“We can do this, and we must do this - the time has come.”

Coun. Dave Stockdale, calling in to the council meeting from Victoria, told Stick her statement was well-researched, and applauded her efforts.

Coun. Jeanine Myhre added that the energy it likely takes to manufacture a cloth shopping bag is higher, but the time for it to break down in a dump is likely shorter.

While councillors’ heads nodded in agreement to Stick’s motion, one remained stagnant.

“I really have difficulty supporting this,” said Coun. Doug Graham.

While he encouraged Stick’s motivation and concern for the environment, he said, bylaws should not be used to control behaviours.

“I don’t think that’s an effective way to do things,” Graham said.

He prefers encouraging people to do the right thing, businesses and consumers alike, but not legislate the choice to use plastic or canvas shopping bags.

“Whitehorse residents will be behind this enough to do it on their own,” he said. “We don’t need this.”

Stick said as long as plastic bags are available, shoppers would use them.

When residents forget them at home or in the vehicle, they will use plastic shopping bags out of convenience.

Myhre asked if a tax levy could be placed on bags, as is done in other parts of the world.

Stick answered that any tax levy would have to come from the territorial government, as it would be out of the city’s jurisdiction.

Mayor Bev Buckway handed over her role as chairperson to Graham for a moment to weigh in on the debate.

“I see both sides of the argument,” she said. “I support this.” She said store owners have approached her with their support.

“It would take some time, and we’d have to phase it in,” she said.

Whitehorse would be the second Canadian city to institute a ban, following the lead of Leaf Rapids, Manitoba’s ban last year.