(Today’s Northumberland file photo)
As of July 2, 2025, Northumberland County is requiring proof of residency to access its Community Recycling Centres. According to the County, this new rule is intended to “preserve this critical infrastructure” for local use.
The logic is simple enough: protect local resources for local taxpayers.
But this policy raises a glaring question—why does the County suddenly draw hard lines around recycling facilities, yet refuses to apply the same principle to protect our neighborhoods, businesses, and local social services?
If the County truly values preserving infrastructure, then surely the same standard should apply to the infrastructure that matters most: our communities themselves.
The residents of Cobourg are increasingly expressing frustration, not with the concept of helping those in need who are looking for a hand up, but with the way that help has been handled.
It is widely known, that many of the individuals causing chaos in our parks and downtown — criminal illegal drug users — are not from Northumberland County.
They’ve come here—brought here in some cases—to access services, housing, and unmonitored spaces with few or no expectations placed upon them.
Why is it that I now must show my driver’s license to drop off an old microwave at the dump, but someone from another municipality can access housing, meals, medical services, and harm reduction resources in our town without so much as a residency check?
Why is there no gatekeeping for our strained mental health and addiction supports, but a strict checkpoint for yard waste?
Local businesses have been forced to install extra security measures, with some choosing to relocate entirely.
Residents are increasingly fearful. Playgrounds have been strewn with drug paraphernalia, and public washrooms are not always safe or accessible. Many seniors and people with disabilities avoid the downtown core out of concern for their safety.
Yet instead of implementing any limits to protect public safety, we’re told it’s a moral imperative to provide unrestricted services to anyone, regardless of where they’re from—no matter the burden placed on local resources or the taxpayers who fund them.
Social service budgets are finite.
Housing is limited.
Police, Bylaw and Outreach workers are overwhelmed.
And yet, there seems to be no policy requiring that recipients of these services actually be from this County.
We’ve drawn a bright line around trash, but not around our tax-funded infrastructure that supports human lives, livelihoods, and community safety.
What message does this send? That garbage is more closely monitored than people.
That the preservation of a compost bin is more urgent than the preservation of public trust, local governance, or neighborhood stability.
That proof of address matters when disposing of scrap wood, but not when applying for services meant for the residents who paid into the system.
The contradiction is stunning—and it’s not lost on us.
If the County believes that only locals should use local services, then that policy must be applied equitably. If you’re going to police who uses the recycling center, then start policing who is consuming our shelter beds, our outreach hours, and our streets. Otherwise, the message is clear: you care more about piles of trash than the people living next to them.
It’s time for consistency. If Northumberland wants to preserve critical infrastructure, then let’s start with preserving the community itself.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
