CBRM considers hiring private firms to help with garbage 3 months after ending contracting out [CBC]

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Posted this 2026-07-08 5:51 PM ADT

The Cape Breton Regional Municipality is considering hiring private firms to help with garbage collection three months after deciding to stop contracting out the service.

CBRM hired staff and leased trucks to deliver the service in-house, but since then the customer service line has received thousands of complaints, sparking an emergency council meeting Wednesday.

Council was told entire streets are not having garbage picked up and one community was missed altogether one day last week.

"We broke something that didn't need fixing," Coun. Kim Sheppard-Campbell said during Wednesday's council meeti…

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Raymond Mac Donald Follow Me 2026-07-08 8:08 PM ADT Reply 3 0 In any normal organization someone would be held accountable for such a huge mistake and fired but citizens shouldn't hold their breath.CBRM is far from normal.There is no accounability for anything. Rose Courage Follow Me 2026-07-09 8:05 PM ADT Reply 1 0 The article states that Mayor Clarke will get the CAO to find an immediate solution. I wonder if the CAO signed off on our new garbage collection process that is causing so much outrage. After 27 years, and other issues in the past, that CAO is still there. No, CBRM is far from normal, and seemingly has no accountability. Rose Courage Follow Me 2026-07-09 10:14 PM ADT Reply 1 0 I was in error about the length of time that our present CAO has been in that position. It hasn't been 27 years as CAO - I believe the 27 years I wrote above could be his entire time with the CBRM, as Solicitor and CAO.
Allie Macinnis Follow Me 2026-07-09 2:04 PM ADT Reply 2 0 First of all let me say this - these workers are not at fault ( nobody to my knowledge said that ) but they are the ones facing the public’s wrath - so let’s stop that 🙏🏼 the ones that are at fault sit behind a desk in a climatized building - I would not even blame any councillors and they deal with complaints cause that’s what we pay them for 🤦‍♂️Now this whole situation created by the top brass that run this Municipality have created a health and safety situation and these workers are unionized and I’m sure that union has taken notice and are on this — what happened here in the quest to save taxpayers dollars they ( you know the top brass ) are trying to do the same work with less workers and that has created a big safety situation for these workers - they are doing their with want they have been given — so let’s treat these workers with respect and complain where the complaint should go - Direct to the top 🙏🏼 Raymond Mac Donald Follow Me 2026-07-09 2:09 PM ADT Reply 1 0 In most organizations the top brass takes the hit,but I never heard that happen in CBRM Municipality. They are too busy pointing the finger at someone below. Rose Courage Follow Me 2026-07-09 8:11 PM ADT Reply 1 0 Exactly! The top brass are the ones who make the decisions and then stay out of the public eye while the workers and the Councilors have to deal with the mess that the top brass made. Two names always seem to float to the top when there is a big screw up in the CBRM - Clarke and Kachefanas. I'm sure there are more. It's way past time for those two to be gone. I wonder if this is something that we can file a complaint with the Ombudsman for. The NS Ombudsman's office is where citizens can file complaints about municipal officials. It's a very easy process - just complete a short online form about your complaint. Perhaps if more complaints are received there, those two can be removed ! Raymond Mac Donald Follow Me 2026-07-09 9:40 PM ADT Reply 1 0 I've spoken /written the Ombudsman's office many times.They are well aware of the mess down here but for some reason stay away. Rose Courage Follow Me 2026-07-09 10:01 PM ADT Reply 1 0 My experience with them has been so different. I filed a complaint about Clarke and the CAO and the deals made with our public land (i.e. Barbusci and Sydport and the greenfield site) with closed door meetings and making/signing property deals without even telling the Council beforehand. I told them that I had no trust in my Mayor and CAO and the day after I filed my online complaint I received a phone call that . Since then I've had a face to face meeting with them here in Sydney. They are looking into it.
Rose Courage Follow Me 2026-07-09 8:01 PM ADT Reply 1 0 You are so right, Councilor Kim Shepherd! Why try to fix something that isn't broken? Why was the original garbage collection gotten rid of by CBRM to be replaced by something that is such a disaster that now CBRM is thinking about getting help from private contractors! Isn't that what they got rid of in the first place? So instead of one garage collection company that was working well, we may now have one, or two, or three - imagine the confusion we'll have then! Imagine the cost that we will have then! Is the CAO, Kachefanas, responsible for this mess??? According to the article, the Mayor says that the CAO will get this fixed. If the CAO is responsible, you'd think that after being CAO for more than 27 years, he would know how to do his job and prevent problems, not cause them. Raymond Mac Donald Follow Me 2026-07-09 9:42 PM ADT Reply 2 0 Kachafanas was CAO about a year since Marie Walsh left.Prior to that he was solicitor.He's useless. Rose Courage Follow Me 2026-07-09 10:04 PM ADT Reply 1 0 I couldn't agree with you more. He was the CAO in the Mary Campbell's online articles in the Cape Breton Spectator that I was reading through from 2014. I had read '27 years' somewhere so I guess that's his total employment time with the CBRM. Rose Courage Follow Me 2026-07-09 10:30 PM ADT Reply 1 0 Thanks for pointing that out....I assumed he was CAO for all that time but now realize that was not true. Even in his capacity as Solicitor, he was working hand in hand with Clarke and not providing the Council of the day with information that they should have had. For just one example in very many that appear in Cape Breton Spectator article: https://capebretonspectator.com/2018/01/10/port-development-travel-cbrm/ There was a copy of minutes of a Council meeting from March 2013 and it shows clearly how Clarke and Solicitor Kachafanas worked together against some Councilors who had the nerve to ask for information. Sounds like the same thing is happening with CAO Kachafanas if the recent emergency Council meeting about the garbage pickup is anything to go by. It seems that Council had been asking for financial information ie how much money it was costing taxpayers etc. but they still did not receive the information - after three months of the new system being in place. With the same people running the CBRM in the highest positions, things only seem to get worse, not better.
Rohn MacLeod Follow Me 2026-07-10 11:02 AM ADT Reply 0 0 Our pickup has been fine. No complaints. I must say however I see a lot of black bags out there. Under recycling regulation you are allowed one personal bag and the rest up to five are to be clear not black!

Depth

Raymond Mac Donald Follow Me 2026-07-08 8:08 PM ADT

Reply 3 0

In any normal organization someone would be held accountable for such a huge mistake and fired but citizens shouldn't hold their breath.CBRM is far from normal.There is no accounability for anything.

Rose Courage Follow Me 2026-07-09 8:05 PM ADT

Reply 1 0

The article states that Mayor Clarke will get the CAO to find an immediate solution. I wonder if the CAO signed off on our new garbage collection process that is causing so much outrage. After 27 years, and other issues in the past, that CAO is still there. No, CBRM is far from normal, and seemingly has no accountability.

Rose Courage Follow Me 2026-07-09 10:14 PM ADT

Reply 1 0

I was in error about the length of time that our present CAO has been in that position. It hasn't been 27 years as CAO - I believe the 27 years I wrote above could be his entire time with the CBRM, as Solicitor and CAO.

Allie Macinnis Follow Me 2026-07-09 2:04 PM ADT

Reply 2 0

First of all let me say this - these workers are not at fault ( nobody to my knowledge said that ) but they are the ones facing the public’s wrath - so let’s stop that 🙏🏼 the ones that are at fault sit behind a desk in a climatized building - I would not even blame any councillors and they deal with complaints cause that’s what we pay them for 🤦‍♂️Now this whole situation created by the top brass that run this Municipality have created a health and safety situation and these workers are unionized and I’m sure that union has taken notice and are on this — what happened here in the quest to save taxpayers dollars they ( you know the top brass ) are trying to do the same work with less workers and that has created a big safety situation for these workers - they are doing their with want they have been given — so let’s treat these workers with respect and complain where the complaint should go - Direct to the top 🙏🏼

Raymond Mac Donald Follow Me 2026-07-09 2:09 PM ADT

Reply 1 0

In most organizations the top brass takes the hit,but I never heard that happen in CBRM Municipality. They are too busy pointing the finger at someone below.

Rose Courage Follow Me 2026-07-09 8:11 PM ADT

Reply 1 0

Exactly! The top brass are the ones who make the decisions and then stay out of the public eye while the workers and the Councilors have to deal with the mess that the top brass made. Two names always seem to float to the top when there is a big screw up in the CBRM - Clarke and Kachefanas. I'm sure there are more. It's way past time for those two to be gone. I wonder if this is something that we can file a complaint with the Ombudsman for. The NS Ombudsman's office is where citizens can file complaints about municipal officials. It's a very easy process - just complete a short online form about your complaint. Perhaps if more complaints are received there, those two can be removed !

Raymond Mac Donald Follow Me 2026-07-09 9:40 PM ADT

Reply 1 0

I've spoken /written the Ombudsman's office many times.They are well aware of the mess down here but for some reason stay away.

Rose Courage Follow Me 2026-07-09 10:01 PM ADT

Reply 1 0

My experience with them has been so different. I filed a complaint about Clarke and the CAO and the deals made with our public land (i.e. Barbusci and Sydport and the greenfield site) with closed door meetings and making/signing property deals without even telling the Council beforehand. I told them that I had no trust in my Mayor and CAO and the day after I filed my online complaint I received a phone call that . Since then I've had a face to face meeting with them here in Sydney. They are looking into it.

Rose Courage Follow Me 2026-07-09 8:01 PM ADT

Reply 1 0

You are so right, Councilor Kim Shepherd! Why try to fix something that isn't broken? Why was the original garbage collection gotten rid of by CBRM to be replaced by something that is such a disaster that now CBRM is thinking about getting help from private contractors! Isn't that what they got rid of in the first place? So instead of one garage collection company that was working well, we may now have one, or two, or three - imagine the confusion we'll have then! Imagine the cost that we will have then! Is the CAO, Kachefanas, responsible for this mess??? According to the article, the Mayor says that the CAO will get this fixed. If the CAO is responsible, you'd think that after being CAO for more than 27 years, he would know how to do his job and prevent problems, not cause them.

Raymond Mac Donald Follow Me 2026-07-09 9:42 PM ADT

Reply 2 0

Kachafanas was CAO about a year since Marie Walsh left.Prior to that he was solicitor.He's useless.

Rose Courage Follow Me 2026-07-09 10:04 PM ADT

Reply 1 0

I couldn't agree with you more. He was the CAO in the Mary Campbell's online articles in the Cape Breton Spectator that I was reading through from 2014. I had read '27 years' somewhere so I guess that's his total employment time with the CBRM.

Rose Courage Follow Me 2026-07-09 10:30 PM ADT

Reply 1 0

Thanks for pointing that out....I assumed he was CAO for all that time but now realize that was not true. Even in his capacity as Solicitor, he was working hand in hand with Clarke and not providing the Council of the day with information that they should have had. For just one example in very many that appear in Cape Breton Spectator article: https://capebretonspectator.com/2018/01/10/port-development-travel-cbrm/ There was a copy of minutes of a Council meeting from March 2013 and it shows clearly how Clarke and Solicitor Kachafanas worked together against some Councilors who had the nerve to ask for information. Sounds like the same thing is happening with CAO Kachafanas if the recent emergency Council meeting about the garbage pickup is anything to go by. It seems that Council had been asking for financial information ie how much money it was costing taxpayers etc. but they still did not receive the information - after three months of the new system being in place. With the same people running the CBRM in the highest positions, things only seem to get worse, not better.

Rohn MacLeod Follow Me 2026-07-10 11:02 AM ADT

Reply 0 0

Our pickup has been fine. No complaints. I must say however I see a lot of black bags out there. Under recycling regulation you are allowed one personal bag and the rest up to five are to be clear not black!

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CBRM considers hiring private firms to help with garbage 3 months after ending contracting out [CBC]

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