‘Right now we are trapped’: Winnipegger frustrated sidewalks not cleared after blizzard

WINNIPEG — One Winnipeg woman feels trapped inside her house as city crews haven’t cleared the sidewalks in front of her apartment after the weekend blizzard.

Tracey Nemeth and her two sons can’t walk to the bus stop or to the grocery store. The sidewalk on Archibald Street near her home hasn’t been cleared and Nemeth doesn’t own a car.

“Right now we are trapped. It’s quite frustrating. Right now I need to go to the store for groceries and we can’t do that,” she said.

Nemeth says she has tried to be patient, but since there’s no clear pathway she says she’s worried for pedestrians.

“People are going through four feet of snow piled up to get places. And if you slip you’re right on Archibald. It’s a risk of getting hurt,” she said.

“I just would like the city to come out and please get this plowed so me and my children can get out and about safely without risking our lives getting to the grocery store.”

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Out of the 400 pieces of snow clearing machines that are hitting the streets, about 30 are designated for sidewalks according to Ken Allen from the Public Works Department.

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“We’re working as quickly as we can but because of those heavy accumulations of snow, it’s going to take a bit of time,” said Allen.

“Right now the priority is clearing the streets, getting those sidewalks done, getting those back lanes done.”

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Even in spots where crews have finished cleaning, large piles remain.

Jennifer Fraser was in a crash when she was pulling on to Archibald Street. She said she couldn’t see past the snow piled up next to the road.

“The snow bank is so tall that they couldn’t see me and I couldn’t see them. I stopped and they slid right into me,” said Fraser.

Anyone with concerns about snow clearing is asked to contact 311.