The city of Montreal on Friday confirmed the termination of its contract with the company Ricova, which was previously responsible for managing recyclable materials at the Lachine sorting center.
• Also read: Ricova challenged the City of Montreal’s decision in court
• Also read: Ricova faces serious charges from the inspector general and will remain in Montreal for the coming months
The city council passed a resolution on the subject on Friday morning. The termination will take effect no later than November 14th.
“We know that materials have been piling up at the Lachine sorting center for several weeks. Faced with the serious and imminent risk of closing the sorting center’s activities, the city has acted quickly to resolve the situation,” said Marie-Andrée Mauger, Head of the Ecological Transition and Environment Sector at the Executive Committee.
She also pointed out that discussions were being held with the company about the terms of the transfer of operations. Société VIA will carry the torch, as the Lachine recyclables sorting center is owned by the city.
“VIA Corporation will participate in the creation of new customized jobs in the Montreal area. Two priorities remain for us: bringing our social mission to life while ensuring optimal and efficient sorting of recyclable materials,” said Jean-Sébastien Daigle, President and CEO of Société VIA.
As a non-profit social economy and integration organization, Société Via promotes the recruitment of people with functional disabilities.
On Wednesday, TVA Nouvelles reported that Lachine’s sorting center was at risk of service disruption and that the city had started the process to terminate the contract.
Last June, Ricova was blacklisted by the city, making her ineligible for any new contracts after being selected by the Office of Inspector General (OIG). A decision that the company has taken to court and which is still awaiting judgment.
These are not the first controversies affecting the company, which is piling up disputes with Quebec’s communities.