Sidewalks - General Information & Maps
SIDEWALKS
Downtown / Core Sidewalks
Prior to the 2023-2024 winter season, Council made the changes needed in our policies and bylaws to allow us to run a pilot program for our downtown and other core sidewalks. The City will be contracting out snow removal on downtown sidewalks and alleys.
We have also extended the sidewalk snow removal already done by our own departments. The City will now also be doing snow removal on the rest of Centre Street (both sides) from 4th Ave W all the way down to 9th Ave W, as well as along the north side of 9th Ave W all the way to 5th Street W.
The map below shows the sidewalks that will be cleared and specifies which are going to be done under a contract and which will be done by City departments. They will also be cleared to a higher service standard than previous, as we have changed the definition in our bylaw for exactly what it means to clear a sidewalk.
This is a pilot program to see how it works and what the costs are. Administration will review the results of the pilot program and provide a report to Council who will then determine if further change is needed or if this program will continue on a permanent basis.
Anyone with property adjacent to these City/Contractor cleared sidewalks will not have to clear them. The City or it's contractor will be doing so.
CLICK MAP BELOW TO ENLARGE
All Other Sidewalks
Other than properties along the new downtown / core routes noted above where the city or its contractor will be doing sidewalk snow removal, all owners/occupants throughout the city are now required to perform snow removal on the sidewalk (where one exits) immediately adjacent to their own property only. You are not required to cross the street to shovel the sidewalk in front of someone else’s property. The previous school route collector zones are no longer in effect as this requirement is now for all sidewalks in the City, not just specific zones.
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This will not only improve pedestrian safety, but also accessibility for those in our community who use things like wheelchairs, scooters, strollers, as well as for our children, senior citizens or who have low or impaired vision. Improving the walkability and accessibility of our City is important to the quality of life of those who live, work, play and visit here.
This is the first year of the new requirements and we will be doing soft enforcement only to give people a chance to get used to the new requirements. Because we are only doing soft enforcement, while there will be improved accessibility, it may not be very consistent across all sidewalks this season.
When clearing your sidewalk, please remember the following:
- You will need to clear or remove all snow, ice and/or other loose debris from any sidewalk adjacent to your property within forty-eight (48) hours of the time when the snow, ice or other loose debris was formed or deposited thereon. This means within 48 hours after the end of a weather event causing snow or ice or debris to form on the sidewalk. (There will be some leeway given for larger storms or continuous snowfall.)
- Proceed with caution and avoid injury to or undue interference with any person lawfully using the sidewalk, and avoid causing damage to the sidewalk or curbs.
- Any snow removed off the sidewalk is to be placed on the owner’s adjacent private property.
- If placing snow on your own property is impractical, you may place the snow or ice or other loose debris from the sidewalk in the boulevard or roadway adjacent to the sidewalk, but must do so in a manner that does not create a hazard or interfere with the use of the roadway or cover storm drains or cause difficulty for those parking on the road.
- If placing snow on your own property is impractical, you may place the snow or ice or other loose debris from the sidewalk in the boulevard or roadway adjacent to the sidewalk, but must do so in a manner that does not create a hazard or interfere with the use of the roadway or cover storm drains or cause difficulty for those parking on the road.
- The City will make a sand/salt pile available to property owners and residents at no charge to use on their sidewalks.
How will it be enforced?
- There will be soft enforcement only for the upcoming season which means warnings are given before fines or orders to remedy are issued. Though all areas will be enforced, enforcement efforts will be focused on higher traffic areas.
- The penalty for failing to comply with these requirements includes a fine of $25 for a first offence, and $50 for additional offences. A property owner will also receive an order to remedy to complete the work, and if the City has to complete the work on their behalf, the costs of doing so will be billed back to the property owner and if unpaid applied to their property taxes.
See our the FAQ section below for more information.