Haligonians left dealing with snow-clearing damage

As spring starts to settle in, the aftermath of winter storm-clearing can be seen throughout the Halifax peninsula.

Damaged yards and sidewalks caused by oversized snow-clearing equipment is a yearly occurrence one regional councillor hears about regularly.

“People’s gardens and stairs and the fences — there’s a lot of damage that’s done, not just to the grass but to to actual infrastructure,” said Shawn Cleary, councillor for Halifax West Armdale.

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Cleary says while some people may think the cleanup is just an expected part of early spring, some residents are left to deal with severe damage to their property.

“Last winter, a resident lost their entire staircase to their front porch because a Bobcat hit it,” he said.

The municipality hires contractors to clear out sidewalks and streets and are responsible for any repair costs.

“If you’re bidding on any contract, you know there’s going to be some damage, so you would put that into the price of your contract. So taxpayers are paying for it, but ostensibly it’s the contractor who’s got to clean up the mess,” Cleary said.

Cleary says his district receives more damage complaints than any other and points to narrower sidewalks and older infrastructure as the likely reason.

Some residents of the area invest in safeguards to try and avoid potential damage.

“For my landscaping, I went and put up a concrete wall along the edge of the lawn and the driveway. I normally go out and clean it off, so that when they come along they can see what they’re getting into and where the edges are,” Judy Ashley-Leblanc said.

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Cleary also sits on the transportation standing committee and hopes ultimately “more appropriate equipment” can be enforced on contractors.

“There are other options. There are smaller machines, bladed machines, articulating blades, sweepers — there’s all kinds of gear I’ve seen,” he said.