There aren’t very many Reginans taking evening strolls during this time of the year. The spring thaw-freeze conditions are making for a dangerous walk.
Lisa Ziegler, a postal worker who has been delivering mail with Canada Post for the last 22 years, knows that all too well.
“The same streets that people are complaining about that are really hard to drive on; this is my workplace. This is where I have to walk,” said Ziegler.
Between dodging ice-patches and trekking through four feet of snow, Ziegler says her biggest challenge is un-cleared sidewalks – a problem the city doesn’t quite recognize.
Get daily National news
Earlier this year, the City of Regina conducted a survey to find out how many homeowners clear their sidewalks.
“We found there was about a 76 per cent compliance to shovel their walk. So that way we feel that we don’t need a bylaw,” said Lorne Chow, the city’s manager of bylaw.
But Ziegler disputes those numbers.
“Anyone who even walks their dog would tell you that there’s not eighty per cent of the people that shovel their city sidewalk, said Ziegler.
That forces workers to walk around the snow and share the road with vehicle traffic, which is yet another safety hazard.
“If I fall and get hurt on a homeowner’s property they could be liable for my lost wages, pain and suffering,” said Ziegler.
Anyone else who is injured as a result of a homeowner’s negligence could hold them liable too.
While the city has no plans to enforce sidewalk maintenance, Canada post has the right to refuse mail delivery if there isn’t a clear and safe pathway to your door.
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.