Shopping trips in the Municipality of West Interlake's Ward 2 could look very different in the near future. Reeve Randy Helgason says Council's currently looking at a by-law to ban plastic shopping bags, which will act as an extension of a current by-law in Ward 1 enacted prior to amalgamation. Helgason admits the change would mean a transition, but notes others have seemed to adjust. 

Randy Helgason

"They put it into place. I think people, as with anything else, it took a while to get used to. They've gone to paper bags or boxes, or now they say most people are bringing their own bags for groceries."

While the goal of the bag ban is to reduce the amount of litter being blown about by the wind, they're also putting another measure in place to help encourage recycling. Helgason once again cites the success in Eriksdale as inspiration to implement landfill tipping fees throughout the whole municipality.

"We've seen an improvement not just in the appearance of their waste disposal grounds, but also the environmental aspect of it. With the tipping fees people are more prone to go the recycling route, and it'll reduce waste in our landfills, and therefore extend the life of our waste disposal sites, which in the long-run will safe our taxpayers money."

Helgaon notes they haven't passed the by-law just yet, but explains Council seems on board with the initiative.

"I think Council's all on side. We didn't do it without a lot of thought. The councillors from Ward 1 had input into it, and it has seemed to work well for them."

He anticipates they'll have the by-law in place within the next couple of months.