‘Disgusting’: Calgary farmers frustrated by increasing illegal dumping
Posted Jul 30, 2026 10:53 am.
Calgary-area farmers say illegal dumping on their property is becoming more frequent and more brazen, after recently catching people unloading trash on farmland in broad daylight.
The latest incident was captured on video on land along Calgary’s northern edge. Farmers confronted the individuals and told them to pick up the garbage, which they initially began doing.
However, the farmers say they backed away to a safe distance to contact police, and during that time the suspects allegedly dumped the garbage again and fled the scene.
Cattle and grain producer Alex Hunter tells CityNews the most frustrating part is that incidents like this are becoming increasingly common.
“I would say too that people get a little more bold every year,” Hunter said. “It used to be the backroads or the road allowances you’d see a pile throughout the summer once, and just last week we had a guy dump a burnt out car in our driveway.”
Cattle and grain producer Carter Mitschke, who can be heard confronting the alleged dumpers in the video, said the problem shows a lack of respect for both farmers and the land they work to maintain.
“We’re trying to be caretakers for the land and produce anything that we’ve got, and the thank you that we get is people throw garbage in our fields,” Mitschke said. “It’s absolutely disgusting. Just the thought of it drives me nuts.”
Farmers in the area say the problem is not isolated to a single location. Producer Mitchell Konschuk said there are currently multiple dumping sites nearby.
“If you drive 200 feet that way, go up here there’s four or five here, then there’s two or three down there,” Konschuk said. “Ultimately it’s costing taxpayer dollars because the city has to go and clean it up.”
Evidence of roadside dumping was easy to find during a visit to the area. Farmers say the burden often falls on property owners when garbage is left on private land.
“Is it a hazardous material? Is it something that’s going to harm you as you’re picking it up to clean it up?” Hunter said. “All the things that a dump is equipped to deal with, me, I’m just a regular person and I already work enough hours.
“I don’t want to be cleaning up after you too.”
According to the City of Calgary, loads of garbage weighing less than 550 lbs. can be taken to a landfill for a flat fee of $25. Konschuk says he would like the city to consider a different approach he has seen in the United States.
“Maybe $10 or $20 a year per household, and if you’re under 1,000 pounds in your vehicle of garbage, it’s free,” he said.
The City of Calgary says anyone found guilty of depositing waste without consent can face fines ranging from $200 to $10,000.
