Sidewalk protest planned for Halifax

HALIFAX — Michael Yorke knows firsthand how difficult it is to get around on city sidewalks with his scooter. “It’s lethal. They shouldn’t be able to be on, because places are too rough and they dip, and they can tip easy”

Many people with mobility issues in Halifax are driving on city streets. Those who are using the sidewalks have to resort to specialized gear, like James Clybern, who uses cleats and an adaptor for his cane.”This is kind of an anomaly with the weather being as cold as it is, you can dump tons of salt on there and it’s not going to make any difference,” he tells Global News.

Icy sidewalks have prompted concerned citizens to take action. They are planning a demonstration Friday afternoon to show their disapproval over how the city is handling sidewalk clearing.

“We don’t have specific recommendations of this is the snow removal strategy you should use, we don’t think that’s our job, we think the city is responsible for figuring that out but we want things to be better,” says Amanda Stevens, protest organizer.

Stevens says the city is not meeting it’s own standards for snow removal and it’s affecting everybody. “This is very difficult for me as a fit, able bodied, young person, it is almost impossible for people with disabilities and mobility issues to get around and it’s not fair”

Hundreds of people are expected to join the sidewalk protest Friday afternoon. It starts at 4 p.m., in front of the North End library. Organizers say the message to the city is simple; find a solution and make sidewalks more accessible.