The civic workers strike is now in its 28th day, and as some Torontonians clean up litter with their own hands, others are protesting against a dump site in a west-end park.
Residents living near Campbell Park, one of the newer temporary dump sites are concerned with the concentration of an insecticide being sprayed on the garbage piling up.
They say they're upset that Peremetrin is being used at a 38.6 per cent concentration versus an average of 30 per cent that is used on lawns.
A steady stream of cars drove up to the park near Landsdowne Avenue and Dupont Avenue. Some had as many as six bags of garbage each to drop off.
The rink opened four days ago, and appears to already be at 20 per cent capacity. Garbage is piled about six feet high.
City managers on site say they expect the rink will likely be full by next weekend.
The residents near Campbell Park plan on holding a candlelight vigil Sunday night in protest against the dump site.
Meanwhile, city managers continue to clean up downtown. On Sunday afternoon, a group of four managers swept up garbage left over by club goers on Richmond Street near Duncan Street.
Earlier in the day, Deputy Premier George Smitherman said the McGuinty government continues to closely monitor the situation surrounding striking civic workers in Toronto.
But in an interview with CP24, he wouldn't comment on any possible back to work legislation.
This is the third day he has put on gardening gloves and joined a group of volunteers that are continuing to clean up garbage spilling over onto the streets.
The group, called One Toronto, says it works to collect litter at hot spots throughout the city.
Sunday the members cleaned up around St. Clair Avenue E. and O'Connor Drive.
"I can't walk along a street and just step over litter," says Smitherman.
"That's kind of not the way I've been raised, and accordingly, I'm focusing on something that I can make a little bit of a difference with."
Contract talks continue today, but there's no end in sight to the labour dispute. The union has tabled an offer and is waiting for the city's counter offer. The city says it is still examining the union's offer.
The strike includes indoor and outdoor city workers, including garbage collectors, daycare workers, park and recreation workers, as well as paramedics who say they are operating at 75 per cent service.
