Halifax councillor looks to improve snow clearing with accessibility in mind

One of Halifax’s new councillors says more work needs to be done in clearing snow, especially from sidewalks, after the municipality’s first lingering snowfall Friday.

READ MORE: Halifax snow clearing getting better for people with accessibility needs: advocate

District 9 Councillor Shawn Cleary made a motion at regional council on Tuesday asking for staff to find out the cost of clearing snow down to bare concrete.

“We don’t get to bare concrete, we target it,” Cleary said. “(Bare concrete) is the service standard I think people expect when they see the machines going by.

“If we’re going to pay for it, we have to get value for that and in far too many neighbourhoods we’re not getting very good service.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "If we're going to pay for it, we have to get value for that and in far too many neighbourhoods we're not getting very good service."

During his election campaign, Cleary said residents brought up the issue of snow clearing many times. He said lack of quality service in neighbourhoods is also causing issues for people with accessibility challenges.

READ MORE: Calling all snow angels: Halifax councillor wants people to ‘dig in and help out’

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Inclusivity advocate Paul Vienneau agrees with Cleary, saying the standard crews have to meet should be more “prescriptive.” He said he wants to see “down to the pavement, full-width” snow clearing.

Vienneau made headlines in early 2015 when he cleared ice and snow that city crews had missed from his wheelchair. He said snow-covered sidewalks can affect anyone.

READ MORE: Halifax residents digging out after being buried by winter’s biggest blizzard

“For me personally, it means that for 12 weeks, two years ago, I couldn’t get to work because I couldn’t even get off my block,” he said. “For someone who owns a small business who is able-bodied, that means that maybe they would slip and snap an ankle and lose their business and all the people that rely on them for work also lose their jobs. So it works for everybody, not just for the least able of us.”

He said he’s also been pushing for specialized training so supervisors can understand what those with accessibility needs deal with when snow falls.

Halifax spokesperson Tiffany Chase said winter operations crews recently took training to better clear curb cuts and spoke with accessibility advocates to learn how they could clear snow better.

READ MORE: Snow-clearing on sidewalks still a concern for Halifax residents

But she said people should still give themselves extra time to get around when heading outside in the winter.

“We’re going to see snow, we’re going to see ice, so people should be prepared,” she said. “We send equipment through but it doesn’t mean that the concrete is going to be showing in all areas of the municipality.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We're going to see snow, we're going to see ice, so people should be prepared," she said. "We send equipment through but it doesn't mean that the concrete is going to be showing in all areas of the municipality."

The staff report requested by Cleary won’t affect conditions this season, but he said he hopes it can make a difference when the city signs new snow clearing contracts next year.

He also wants the report to look at whether it’s cheaper for snow clearing to be done in-house or contracted out, as much of it is done now.

— With files from Marieke Walsh, Global News