At its August 8 meeting, District Council awarded Fowler Construction the contract to create a fourth cell at the Rosewarne Landfill site—Muskoka’s only operating landfill—for an additional $2,370,942.00 (plus HST).
In March, Fowler was awarded the subgrade construction for Cell 4 in the amount of $989,394 (excluding HST).
According to a report from District staff, the landfill was designed with nine cells and a total capacity of 1,460,000 m3. Each cell is developed and constructed sequentially as additional capacity is needed.
The report notes that Cell 3 was commissioned in early 2022 and was expected to be full in late 2024, but new equipment enabling greater garbage compaction has extended its life by about three months.
“Our latest projections are estimating closure in and around 2039,” according to James Steele, District Commissioner of Engineering and Public Works.
Originally, the landfill was projected to close no later than 2041, based on levels of garbage landfilled between 2017 and 2023, which is the level that gets reported to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. However, the projections do not consider growth or additional diversion efforts.
“It’s worth noting that while this is approximately 14-15 years in the future, approvals to develop/expand landfills are typically taking 10+ years, provided that a municipality has a willing community to host it,” noted Steele. “That’s why we’re enhancing our tools to ensure that only materials that are truly garbage end up in the landfill and undertaking the Solid Waste Master Plan. This will provide us with a capital, operational, and [a] financial roadmap for the future of Solid Waste in Muskoka.”
According an April 2024 annual report (which tracks diversion and landfill capacity) submitted to the District Engineering and Public Works Committee by Renee Recoskie, District Director of Waste Management and Environmental Services, in 2023 disposal in kg per capita increased by 20% compared to 2022. “The average garbage disposed per capita is more than double the amount of garbage disposed per capita amongst the top performing municipalities in Ontario,” according to the report.
The district is trying to achieve a 60 percent diversion rate in Muskoka. Currently, it’s about 37 percent.
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