Digging out of the snow job

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This article was published 24/06/2015 (3994 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Get out your garbage mitts, Winnipeg. It’s time this city joins other major centres in Canada and makes property owners shovel their sidewalks.

Winnipeggers like to gripe about the glorified goat paths they traverse in winter — sidewalks that often are fit only for the hale and hearty walker. That’s a shame, because much of this city retains a true community character, dotted with neighbourhoods with a distinct feel to them, and sidewalks are key to that landscape.

That’s why, when the city’s recent cycling/pedestrian study asked people about the barriers to activity, clearing snow from streets and sidewalks came back as the “overwhelming” priority of respondents.

The trouble now with winter sidewalks is the city’s snow-clearing policy ties moving snow off the walks to their street schedule — sidewalks on priority snow-clearing routes, such as regional and collector roads, get cleared faster. Residential streets (and sidewalks) are cleared later.

Break that link, said the bike/walk report council has adopted in principle. It recommended sidewalks should be cleared within 24 or 48 hours of the end of snowfall, not according to accumulation.

It has also said sidewalks downtown, near hospitals, nursing homes, bus routes and elementary schools ought to be cleared by the city. All other sidewalks should be shovelled by property owners or occupants — an idea that got a fair amount of support by those consulted for the walk/cycle strategy report, says Brad Sacher, director of public works. In fact, Mr. Sacher says, people figured doing it themselves would mean “they’d get a higher level of service.”

That’s a big thumbs-down on the quality and frequency of sidewalk plowing now, which is galling given the city spent $3.2 million last year for the service, $1.1 million for residential walks alone.

As so many residents know, by the time the mini-plows grumble past their houses, the snow is packed, often to ice.

Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of the public works committee, is sold on the idea Winnipeggers finally join Canadians in other major cities and take on the job of shoveling their sidewalks.

It’s a perennial debate at city hall, and politically dicey. On Wednesday, Mayor Brian Bowman was quick to note council will not be voting on such a motion any time soon.

City council is awaiting a report on a review of its broader snow-clearing policy and past performance of the privately contracted plowing crews. Sidewalk clearing should be part of that, and the policy of seeing walks as extensions of roads should be rethought. Pedestrians have different habits and needs than motorists.

But the idea property owners should be responsible for clearing the sidewalks in front of their homes and businesses has merit. The elderly or disabled who are financially incapable of hiring someone to shovel their sidewalks would need help — family, neighbours or take a page from Calgary’s playbook and design an effective volunteer program, where incentives of free parking passes are offered.

The bike/walk report’s recommendation that sidewalks be cleared to bare pavement may be too much to ask, especially after a prolonged and heavy snowfall. Fines, though, should be set at rising rates when bylaw-scoffers refuse to comply.

Winnipeg does not get the kind of snowfall seen in many parts of Canada. Average snowfall here is about the same as Edmonton, more than Regina, but much less than Hamilton, Waterloo, Windsor and Calgary, all of which make residents clear the sidewalks.

Coun. Lukes has good reason to argue Winnipeg should join that crowd and, if reason holds sway, Mayor Bowman will agree.