More warnings, fewer tickets for Calgarians leaving sidewalks snowy

If you haven’t shovelled the sidewalk in front of your home after this weekend’s dump of snow in Calgary, you’re running out of time and could receive a bylaw ticket.

New numbers from the city show that from Aug. 1, 2019 to Jan. 5, 2020, Calgarians have filed 6,142 complaints about icy sidewalks through 311.

The city has handed out 2,300 warnings but only issued eight tickets, which carry a $250 fine.

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Susan Wall with the City of Calgary said so many warnings are given out because they want to educate first.

“We educate around the safety of the sidewalks and with the real need for shovelling the sidewalk — the warnings are part of that,” Wall said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We educate around the safety of the sidewalks and with the real need for shovelling the sidewalk — the warnings are part of that," Wall said.

Homeowners are given a grace period of 24 hours from when the snow stops falling to clear sidewalks of snow and ice.

If you are issued a warning and don’t clear your walk, the city will send a contractor to do it for you, but then you get a $250 fine and the bill.

“A minimum $150 charge and that gets billed to the property owner… which they then have to pay. If they fail to pay, it goes onto their property taxes,” said Wall.

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Last year, about three-quarters of property owners who received warnings grabbed their shovels and cleared their sidewalks but the rest had to pay up.

Overall, the city said its warnings do seem to be making a difference, and in the end, it’s for the safety of Calgarians.

“They have the right to use the sidewalk and they have the right to use a safe sidewalk,” said Wall.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "They have the right to use the sidewalk and they have the right to use a safe sidewalk," said Wall.

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Last year, Stephan Porostocky slipped while walking along a sidewalk in his Calgary neighbourhood.

“I just fell. I broke my arm completely and had a cast on for six weeks… so yes this can be quite dangerous,” said Porostocky.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I just fell. I broke my arm completely and had a cast on for six weeks… so yes this can be quite dangerous," said Porostocky.

He now uses a hiking stick when walking outdoors in the winter and said a clear sidewalk makes a huge difference for him.

“I do my walking almost every day, as much as I can, but some of it can be quite dangerous, specifically when there’s black ice and on the top, there’s fresh snow,” said Porostocky.

If a sidewalk hasn’t been cleared, the city urges residents to contact 311.