Portage la Prairie’s new automated garbage collection system is settling in smoothly, with residents adapting well to the city’s updated pickup process.
Jocelyn Lequier-Jobin, Director of Operations for the city, says the system is functioning as planned, and feedback from the community has been fairly positive since the new automated cart system rolled out August 1, 2025.
Minimal issues and smooth adoption
Lequier-Jobin says the early weeks of the program have gone well.
“We’ve had a few calls here and there, but nothing serious. For the most part, it’s gone extremely well. We’re very happy with how everything’s going and we have received lots of good comments about people being happy with the new carts,” she notes.
Lequier-Jobin says residents seem to be catching onto the process quickly.
City staff say that most households understand the schedule and rules for the standardized black carts, reducing the need for follow-up calls.
Cart distribution and accessibility
Ensuring all residents receive their carts has been a key priority.
“Everybody should have a cart," said Lequier-Jobin. "If they, for some chance, didn’t get one, they should call us and we’ll make sure they get one out.”
While the city received a number of calls in the first week from households that had been missed or were away during delivery, those numbers have dropped significantly.
“There could be people who were away or on vacation. If anybody does have an issue, give us a call and we’ll get it straightened out as soon as we can.”
Residents are encouraged to reach out to city operations to resolve any issues promptly.
The city's operations department can be reached at 204-239-8346 or operations@city-plap.com.
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