CALGARY- Now that the piles of snow drifts are finally melting, Calgarians have a new thing to complain about: ice.
The city has received over five thousand complaints this winter about property owners not cleaning their sidewalks, prompting bylaw officers to hit the street.
On Tuesday, Global News tagged along with an enforcement officer, who delivered a dozen warnings to homeowners on just one block. City bylaws state that private property owners must remove all snow and ice off sidewalks, down to the bare concrete.
After a complaint is made, bylaw officers hand out warnings.
“That allows the property owner 24 hours to have the problem rectified,” explains Alvin Murray, manager of north Calgary bylaw services. “If they don’t, then the city will send in a contractor. That contractor will do the work, and the property owner will receive a bill.”
Sections of sidewalk in front of City of Calgary properties are not covered under the bylaw. However, complaints about sidewalks maintained by the city are sent to the department responsible, like Parks or Roads, and each department has their own priority system to remove snow and ice as quickly as possible.
“They have their action plans that they have in place to take care of whatever their responsibilities are, and their square footage of sidewalks,” Murray adds. “Bills have been issued to city departments.”
Homeowners say despite their best efforts, it’s been tough to keep sidewalks clear this winter.
“It’s so thick, it’s hard to keep up and it’s hard to chip away,” complains Kim Colborne, who lives in the community of Coventry Hills. “We’ve been out there shoveling every day of the winter even when it’s still snowing…then we got that hot spell and everything iced up and we couldn’t get through it.”
EMS say that since January 14, they have received nearly one hundred calls for people who have slipped on ice. To make a complaint about a sidewalk, call 311.
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