News Release

(Tuesday, August 15/2000)-- The so-called "pizza corner" in downtown Halifax is becoming a public eyesore and Mayor Walter Fitzgerald wants something done about it.

Mayor Fitzgerald said he is disappointed that the streets and sidewalks at the corner of Grafton and Blower Streets in Halifax are littered each morning with food remains, hundreds of paper wrappings, cold drink cups and other materials from the many fast food outlets located there.

The Mayor said municipal crews are dispatched there each day to try to clean up the mess, but there is only so much they can do.

"The food outlets are going to have to assume some responsibility for this situation. The municipality cannot be expected to do it all. I find it difficult to understand why every other location in the downtown area seems to be able to keep their streets and sidewalks clean. Why not there?" he said.

Mayor Fitzgerald said the litter problem seems to be extending to the grounds of the Halifax Regional Library at the corner of Spring Garden Road and Grafton Street.

He urged the owners of the fast food outlets in the area to encourage their patrons to dispose of their cups, wrappings and other materials in the waste baskets provided.

If the situation does not change soon, the Mayor said he will be asking Halifax Regional Police, the By-law Enforcement division and Public Works and Transportation to consider imposing harsher measures.

Mayor Fitzgerald said he was pleased with the tremendous success of his recent "Company's Coming...Let's Clean-up" anti-litter campaign. More than 50 individuals, groups, and businesses participated in the program, conducting clean-up campaigns in various parts of HRM during the months of May and June.

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Mayor Walter Fitzgerald
(902) 490-4010