A month after a Tri-City senior complained of being charged 25 cents for a take-out bag at A&W, the burger company is issuing a statement.
But Linda Shaw, who wrote a letter about the nuisance charge, told the Tri-City News she's since resumed her bi-weekly trips to the quick-service restaurant on Shaughnessy Street in Port Coquitlam after the fee was eliminated.
Still, she's upset about the ordeal and calls it a "sham" that people were being charged the fee when it wasn't a city requirement.
"It was a complete sham to pocket extra money and blame a non existent city bylaw," Shaw said in an email response to questions from the Tri-City News.
Shaw wrote in her letter that the charge was unfair, especially for people like herself who are on a fixed income.
Port Coquitlam officers stopped the 25-cent fee charge
She said she contacted the mayor and told him of her experience.
A short time later city bylaw officers showed up and told the restaurant operator that the city doesn't charge the fee as other cities, such as Vancouver, have done to try to reduce the environmental impact of take-out containers.
Mayor Brad West has been an outspoken critic of take out container fees and told a council meeting in early March that the the city won't jump into costly schemes to reduce carbon, citing Vancouver's decision to charge a 25 cent fee for single-use cups.
"From my perspective, you know, what has to go hand in hand with our action around climate is a sense of economic fairness and justice," West told council on March 1 as it was discussing its climate action plans.
Just three weeks later, city bylaw offers attended A&W in downtown PoCo and told staff to stop charging the fees.
"Bylaw attended A&W on March 21 at 2 p.m. Their management were informed that Port Coquitlam doesn’t have any such charges in our bylaws. The signage was removed immediately and customers were no longer charged.
"Management apologized for the confusion and the matter was resolved," a city spokesperson stated.
A&W Canada says fee was a "misunderstanding"
But questions remain about what happened to the 25-cent fee that was collected.
According to the A&W head office, which is based in North Vancouver, the money will be refunded to those who ask for it.
However, no explanation was provided as to how customers should prove they were charged the fee.
But A&W Canada did say the matter was a "misunderstanding" based on the fact that some other cities were charging for take-out bags and cups.
"As soon as the error was brought to the restaurant’s attention, the fee was removed. The restaurant is encouraging guests who were incorrectly charged the bag fee to get in touch directly," the spokesperson stated in in email to the Tri-City News.
In Vancouver, according to the city, businesses are required to charge a 25-cent fee (minimum) on each single-use beverage cup provided. Businesses are permitted to keep the fees from cups.
There are also fees for paper (minimum 15 cents) and new reusable shopping bags (minimum $1), according to the City of Vancouver.
To avoid being charged, customers in that city are encouraged to bring their own cup and bag to help to reduce single-use waste.
