Councillors want crackdown on reckless newspaper, flyer deliveries

The days of carelessly delivered newspapers and other printed material fouling your snowblower may soon be over.

Ward 1 Coun. Sonny Spina and his Ward 5 counterpart Corey Gardi will ask city council next week to consider regulating delivery of flyers, newspapers and unsolicited print materials.

If their initiative succeeds, carriers will no longer be allowed to recklessly toss their paper and plastic onto driveways or boulevards.

They'll be required to deliver directly to a door or mailbox. 

Their initiative makes no mention of parcel companies that leave delivered materials where they can be easily collected by porch pirates.

Here's the full text of the resolution they'll present at Monday's city council meeting.

SooToday will livestream the meeting starting at 5 p.m.

Delivery of print materials

Mover: Coun. S. Spina
Seconder: Coun. C. Gardi

Whereas in recent history there has been a significant change in the method and delivery of flyers, newspapers and unsolicited print materials door to door in our community; and

Whereas many of these items are being improperly delivered by being thrown in driveways, on lawns or on boulevards often being left for days at a time; and

Whereas in the winter months, the materials can be left in driveways and covered by snow causing them to be caught in snowblowers; and

Whereas this may cause avoidable and unnecessary damage to snowblowers or cause the materials, including plastic bags, to be blown across lawns, sidewalks, boulevards or the street causing unneeded stress to our environment; and

Whereas it is desirable to regulate the delivery of flyers, newspapers and unsolicited print materials to residences in our community.

Now therefore be it resolved that staff be requested to review the process of enacting a bylaw for the purpose of regulating the delivery of flyers, newspapers and unsolicited print materials to residences by requiring them to be delivered to the door or an appropriate receptacle on the property such as a mailbox and that staff consult similar bylaws in communities in Ontario for reference in creating such a bylaw.