A Winnipeg city councillor is fed up with snow-covered sidewalks and is calling on the city to do a better job cleaning up in winter.
In a motion filed Monday St. Boniface Coun. Matt Allard asked the public service to dig into the costs of slip and falls and look at budget options that prioritize sidewalk clearing.
Allard says the city receives thousands of complaints a year about slippery and snowy conditions on sidewalks, which he says deter Winnipeggers — especially the elderly — from getting around on foot in the winter.
“Our current sidewalk snow clearing policy results in recurring slippery conditions throughout the winter,” reads the motion presented to council’s Riel Community Committee.
“An ageing population should have the ability to age in place in comfort and safety in our communities.”
Allard’s motion called on the city’s infrastructure and public works committee to ask the public service to request data on injuries stemming from slips and falls on sidewalks from the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and to look into and report back on the cost of better sidewalk snow clearing.