Most people hiring a junk removal crew just want the old couch, renovation trash, or garage boxes out of sight. They don’t usually care what happens after the truck doors slam shut.
Rick and Jennifer Dempsey do, though. In fact, that’s pretty much how they’ve run CHUCK-IT Removal Services since launching back in 2007.
The couple built the business on a basic idea: make life easier for people in transition. One day that’s prepping a house to hit the market; the next, it’s hauling away drywall after a kitchen tear-out or knocking down an aging backyard shed. Different tools, different messes, same end goal: turn up, do honest work, and take a task off the client’s plate.
Local residents seem to appreciate the approach. In the 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards, CHUCK-IT snagged top spots right across Durham Region:
- Best Rubbish Removal: Diamond in Ajax, Clarington, Oshawa, Pickering, Uxbridge, and Whitby
- Best Moving Company/Services: Platinum in Ajax, Oshawa, Pickering, and Whitby; Diamond in Uxbridge
- Best Overall Business Service: Diamond in Pickering; Platinum in Uxbridge
For a small family operation, awards like these mean something. They aren’t handed out by industry judges; they’re voted on by local residents who’ve actually hired the crew over the last 19 years.
Based out of Pickering, CHUCK-IT serves Durham, the GTA, and nearby towns. What started strictly as junk hauling has grown into a multi-service business covering residential and commercial moving, full estate cleanouts, and light demolition. Having all three services under one roof takes a lot of the headache out of downsizing or renovating.
Then there’s the community side of things, the work that rarely gets much spotlight.
Instead of dumping everything into a landfill, the team sorts through what they pick up. Anything in good shape gets set aside for their Durham Community Closet initiative. So far, the program has helped around 367 local families furnish their homes while keeping tons of usable items out of Durham landfills. The team was also recently given the Tammy Rankin Award for Service to Seniors for its work with older adults across the region.
Ask Rick and Jennifer, and they’ll tell you the secret isn’t complicated. It comes down to basic habits: answer the phone, show up when promised, give fair estimates, and treat someone else’s property with respect.
If you need a hand clearing out space, planning a move, or taking down an old structure, you can learn more or grab a quote over at chuck-it.ca.
