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A few things regarding sidewalk clearing:
1) Private contractors are 100% not allowed to fill in sidewalks with snow from driveways, but I'm hearing numerous reports of them doing so in this past week. If you see that happening, call 311 immediately and report it.
1) Private contractors are 100% not allowed to fill in sidewalks with snow from driveways, but I'm hearing numerous reports of them doing so in this past week. If you see that happening, call 311 immediately and report it.
2) City plows shouldn't be filling in previously cleared sidewalks, either. Again, if you see it happening, call 311 and report. People will say "there's nowhere else for the plow to put the snow", but if that's true, then the snow just has to be taken off the sidewalk again.
3) @milner_matt has created a database of citizen-submitted "incidents" with improper sidewalk conditions, located at http://yytsidewalks.info . If you have any such experience, whether on a "City route" sidewalk or not, please submit your story there (DM Matt if you need help!)
4) If your street is not part of the 161km of sidewalk clearing the City already does, and you think it belongs there, speak up if you can. We know our neighbourhoods well, and sometimes the City's planning ignores critical realities about the way people move around.
If that means writing Council ([email protected]), do it.
If that means calling @VOCMOpenline, do it.
If that means penning letters to the @StJohnsTelegram, do it.
If that means speaking up on social media, do it.
Your voices and experiences matter.
If that means calling @VOCMOpenline, do it.
If that means penning letters to the @StJohnsTelegram, do it.
If that means speaking up on social media, do it.
Your voices and experiences matter.
Finally:
I'm hearing lots of talk about how the City is doing "better" this winter. Here and there, I've seen successes, as in every year before. But I've also seen snowbanks taller than I am on sidewalks that are meant to be cleared - and this is only after our first storm.
I'm hearing lots of talk about how the City is doing "better" this winter. Here and there, I've seen successes, as in every year before. But I've also seen snowbanks taller than I am on sidewalks that are meant to be cleared - and this is only after our first storm.
And, of course, none of that "better" work accounts for the huge percentage of sidewalks we just don't clear at all.
And this is the status quo that a majority of councillors voted to maintain.
There is no excuse anymore.
I will never accept that we just cannot do better.
And this is the status quo that a majority of councillors voted to maintain.
There is no excuse anymore.
I will never accept that we just cannot do better.
Needless to say, I would have voted to increase funding for sidewalk clearing had I been on Council.
Sidewalk snow clearing was the #1 point in my 2020 election platform.
It will be again in 2021.
We cannot handle another winter of uncleared sidewalks.
This must change.
Sidewalk snow clearing was the #1 point in my 2020 election platform.
It will be again in 2021.
We cannot handle another winter of uncleared sidewalks.
This must change.
