Sherbrooke awards ­recyclables pick-up to private firm

Sherbrooke’s city council awarded a five year recycling contract to Lachine-based company Environnement routier NRJ at a special council meeting at midday on Wednesday, agreeing to have the company continue to carry out recycling pick up in exchange for $10.3 million over five years. The decision was made after considerable debate on the subject, with the council was divided by a nine to five vote based on a concern that the city’s own blue-collar workers should be doing the work. Pierre Avard, councillor for the Fleurimont district of Pin-Solitaire, was the first to voice his concerns, sharing that he felt the only analysis of the idea of the city’s workers that had been negative. See full story in the Friday, Dec. 21 edition of The Record.