It has been a tough few days for Haligonians looking to make their way around the municipality on foot, as mountains of snow and ice have clogged sidewalks and blocked paths.
Thursday still saw some Halifax residents coping with the hazardous conditions — even after contractors were issued a deadline to have sidewalks clear by Wednesday at midnight.
It’s something that at least one Halifax councillor described as unacceptable.
“Sidewalk snow removal has not been very good. There was a big storm, but it seems like it’s taking way longer than it should have, even with the storm that we had,” said Waye Mason, councillor for Halifax Peninsula North on Thursday.
“There was a whole bunch of streets this morning that — after the deadline, the extended deadline for the contractor — still weren’t clear.”
Shawn Cleary, councillor for Halifax West Armdale, told Global News on Wednesday that snow-clearing standards need to change after he fielded dozens of emails, phone calls and social media posts about the state of the sidewalks and roadways.
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READ MORE: Halifax councillor says snow-clearing standards need to change
The municipality is promising penalties as punishment, but residents say they are getting increasingly frustrated by the poor service.
“It’s really hard to live on side streets when you know there’s not a lot of accessible walking way,” said one resident.
For those reliant on special assistance to get into and around Halifax, travel has been even worse.
Linda Pottie, who uses the HRM’s Access-A-Bus to get around, says the mounds of snow are preventing her from leaving her home.
“It’s the snow that’s piled up at the curb that needs to go. Access-A-Bus can’t put the ramp down if that’s not clear, and so a lot of people in this building travel by wheelchairs — or walkers, canes what have you — and many of them have to use the ramp, and if they can’t use the ramp then they can’t go anywhere,” she said.
Pottie has complained to the city, but as of Thursday afternoon, the Acess-A-Bus stop has yet to be cleared.
WATCH: Deep freeze causes slippery sidewalks in Halifax
Mason says that the city needs to have tighter standards and more equipment on the streets and hold the contractors accountable.
“The contractors have been able to clear some or most of it and then one or two of the contractors have barely done any of it those folks need to be fined and get serious fines,” he said.
Contractors who missed the deadline will automatically be penalized, although a dollar figure wasn’t immediately available.
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