Dozens of illegal shipping yards target of Brampton bylaw task force crackdown
Published February 21, 2024 at 3:01 pm
More enforcement officers could help crack down on a spike in illegal truck yards and shipping depots popping up across Brampton, according to a new report.
Members of Brampton City Council heard an update on efforts to curb what the city calls dozens of illegal trucking operations, with a report saying there are some 84 locations under investigation.
Last year there were a total of 71 complaints made regarding alleged illegal outfits, a massive jump from just 10 calls in 2022 and up more than 42 per cent compared to the last five years combined.
The city says many illegal trucking or shipping container companies set up shop on land zoned for agricultural and residential uses which can lead to a pricey clean-up from chemical spills, soil and water contamination, and hurt local wildlife habitats. An assessment of just one location found the remediation cost would be upwards of $4 million, according to the report.
With Brampton Bylaw Enforcement dealing with a record number of complaints, the city has launched a temporary four-person task force dedicated to cracking down on illegal operators and could hire even more officers to help ease the workload.
And with the city already looking to hire more enforcement officers to increase staffing numbers, Coun. Rowena Santos asked city staff at Wednesday’s committee of council meeting to explore hiring four additional bylaw officers for the trucking task force to avoid “cannibalizing” city resources.
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The push in Brampton to cut down on illegal operators follows a similar move by Caledon, which has led to several companies being shut down and the reassessment of 25 properties, resulting in more than $384,000 in additional revenue for the town.
On top of going through the courts to deal with illegal operators, the city and bylaw officers have also used concrete barriers at facilities “that have been constructed or altered without authorization.”
Several outfits operating in Caledon have been ordered to shut down, including 6086 Mayfield Inc. and 2652876 Ontario Inc. and 2721146 Ontario Inc. – a company working out of a Mayfield Road location.
An individual running an illegal trucking operation can be charged up to $25,000 and another $10,000 per day on a first conviction, while corporations face fines up to $50,000 and $25,000 for each following day.
The report and request to hire additional bylaw officers for the illegal trucking task force will go to Brampton City Council for approval at a later date.
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