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Winnipeg councillor calls for change after snow removal problems

Snow banks narrow Overdale Road foprcing residents to park on the sidewalk. February 19, 2014. Rudi Pawlychyn / Global News

WINNIPEG – A city councillor wants Winnipeg to look at bringing snow removal service back in house.

Currently, the city contracts out about 80 per cent of its snow removal, but due an overwhelming amount of complaints this winter, River Heights-Fort Garry Coun. John Orkilow said changes are needed.

“This is going to happen all the time. It can be really hot one year, you can have a lot of bugs one year, but that’s when we as a city have to up our game and say: okay, there’s more snow; we got to up our game more somehow,”‘ said Orkilow. “Not just, oh there’s lots of snow, let’s do the best we can. We can do better.”

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In many parts of the city, snow-clearing efforts have been dismal. On one street in St. James the roads became so narrow, residents had to park their vehicles on sidewalks. As a vehicle was driving down the street Wednesday morning, it nicked the side mirror of a parked car.

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“There’s more snow than anyone knows what to do with,” said one resident.

Craig Broughton said the leftover snow piles at intersections and in front of his River Heights home are downright dangerous. It’s the worst snow service he’s ever had, he said.

“The city has some infrastructure problems that they have to fix, whether it’s drainage in back lanes, or what have you — they need to step up and solve the problem,” said Broughton.

This has been an exceptional winter for Winnipeg. Storm after storm, seemingly never ending cold snaps. By all accounts, the city should be prepared for the worst. But critics say whether it’s ice ruts, snowbanks or back-alley windrows — time and time again this season those responsible have failed.

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